Rise of Remnant
by Panzer4life
Summary: When Specialist Schnee finds an officer and his men defending against the Grimm, it was but the start that would change Remnant forever. Follow Oberst Arc as he tries to prepare Remnant for a new era of warfare, one where the standards of Remnant would fail. Rated M for violence, depictions of war crimes, lemons, and language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: First thing first, I don't own 'RWBY', 'Command and Conquer: Generals/Zero Hour', or the 'Rise of the Reds Mod'. They are owned by Rooster Teeth, EA, and SWR respectively. Please support their official/mod-ficial releases.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 1: A World Engulfed in Darkness_**

* * *

A tall white man stood stiffly, looking out at the frozen wilderness that expended into the distance from his tower. He wore a white uniform, his black hair kept short and swept to the left, his hands were covered in white gloves, and his signature revolver was strapped to his waist neatly in its holster. But alas, despite looking barely in his thirties he felt tired.

Being both a general of the Atlesian Army and the headmaster of Atlas's huntsman academy, along with being a part of Ozpin's silent group was very taxing on his mind. Dealing with the needs of the officers, instructors, soldiers, and students was hard enough, but dealing with Ozpin's extra mysterious agenda and the Council's extremely narrow view of thinking was enough to put lesser men in the psyche ward. But not for General James Ironwood; he knew that Atlas practically depended on him, for if the self-serving assholes that could only be described as the pinnacle of human arrogance that only Jacques Schnee could possess, then Atlas and very well the three other kingdoms could fall in a matter of years.

He raised a mug to his lips, savoring the warmth that only coffee could give him, as he thought about the situation that threaten Remnant.

First and foremost were the creatures of Grimm; black, soulless creatures that devoured humanity whenever and wherever they could. They plague all the kingdoms, and they made further expansions nearly impossible. Attempts like Vale's Mountain Glenn were usually doomed if they could not use environmental features to their advantage to either limit or outright halt the Grimm from encroaching. He suspected that Ozpin knew more about the Grimm than anyone, but that man kept everything close to his chest.

Next were the damnable White Fang. He could rationalize and empathize with the Faunus, those poor bastards who were openly discriminated in public and exploited by large corporations like the SDC due to their animal features, but they moment they resorted to terrorism was the line he drew in the sand. They went from peaceful protests to kidnapping corporate officials, bombing stores that discriminated against Faunus, and executing anyone they deem a 'threat to Faunus equality'. James had no illusions that the White Fang was less about equality and more about Faunus superiority, and the sooner they were dealt with the better.

But finally, there was something that had him confused. Recently in Vacou, there had been reports from his agents that something was amiss. Outlying villages on Vacou's border seemingly stopped reporting their status, patrols went missing in the desert with nothing found, and quiet recently several bullheads went missing, no report, no distress signals, nothing to indicate what had occurred being sent out. At first he suspected perhaps the White Fang, but according to reports they were mostly operating in Vale and Mistral, not Vacou. It puzzled him; what was going on in Vacou?

He sighed, moving as to sit back at his desk and go over the latest reports when his scroll beeped. Pulling it out, he swiped across the screen and saw it was Specialist Winter Schnee. She was currently in the field, just outside of Atlas's walls, working on eliminating some pesky Grimm that had set up near a commonly use caravan route. He press a button to receive the call.

"Specialist Schnee, what is the reason for this call?" James asked, sitting down in his chair as he talked. He was glad he had when Winter began to talk.

"Sir, I have what appears a squad of soldiers with casualties currently surrounded by a large number of Grimm, including the two deathstalkers I was sent to eliminate," Winter promptly reported. James was confused; there should be no soldiers near that location, at least not from Atlas. But the White Fang…

"Are they White Fang?"

"Negative sir, in fact, I don't know what their affiliation is," Winter answered. James felt his eyes widen.

"What, what do you mean?" James asked. Winter paused, as though collecting her thoughts.

"They don't appear to be in any uniform of any kingdoms or PMCs, and their weapons appear standardize yet unlike any I've seen," Winter replied. "Permission to give them assistance?" James hesitated for a moment. It could be a trap, yet if they weren't White Fang then he shouldn't leave a fellow man to face the Grimm alone. He took a deep breath, hoping his decision wasn't too brash.

"Support them, and support will be there ASAP," James said. "Godspeed Specialist Schnee."

"Thank you sir," Winter said, before the call ended. He sighed. He really hoped he didn't fuck himself over.

* * *

Winter Schnee pocketed her scroll. Despite being young for a specialist, only 21 years of age, yet with her training and experience, she was regarded as one of Atlas's rising stars in military affairs. She however only hoped her training and experience would be enough for this situation.

As she rushed towards the surrounded soldiers, she saw they were being ordered by an older officer, in his mid-thirties by her estimates. They all wore grey uniforms with black pants, and they wore a mix of distinct black and moss green berets, and the weapons they used were interesting.

The first and most common were smaller than an assault rifle but larger than a pistol, they seemed to have very little recoil, yet fire very fast. The next fielded by those with the moss green berets were shoulder mounted rocket launchers with a massive warhead. Finally there was two massive automatic grenade launchers mounted on a tripod behind the makeshift cover they had made out of ammo crates and trees.

However, despite being surrounded and having some injuries amongst their number, they kept calm and kept effective fire on the Grimm. Winter only had a moment to be shocked as one of the rockets slammed into a deathstalker and blew clean off its massive claw, causing it to screech horribly in pain before another warhead finished the beast off. Yet Winter could see that if she didn't get in there and if the support didn't get there fast enough, this unit would be doomed. The Grimm were getting awfully close, and it seemed they didn't use melee in their fighting style.

Winter came up behind an Alpha Beowulf, and before it could react, thrust her sabre into the back of its skull, killing it instantly. She then used a speed glyph to dart to the next Beowulf, and quickly repeated what she did to it and two others, all before the Grimm could react. She heard what she assumed to be the officer shouting to his men, but it was in old Mantlese, and she didn't have a good grip of the language, so she didn't understand them. But it was clear from their intention as Grimm around her were filled with bullets that he had ordered them to give her support.

She quickly darted around the field, trying to get close to the soldiers, yet there was always another damned Grimm blocking her way, requiring her to kill it before getting closer. It was in this flurry of action that Winter noticed something that the soldiers didn't; a shadow that was moving quickly along the ground.

Sparing a look from above, Winter could've screamed in anguish as she saw a Nevermore flying above. If the soldiers lacked any means to combat that damned raven of death, then it would let loose a barrage of feathers that could impale them, causing them to lose formation and become overwhelmed by the Grimm. She shouted out to them.

"Take out the Nevermore before it fires!" Winter saw the soldiers' confusion, but the officer took a glance up, and seeing it, went to a box, hopefully to pull out something to kill it. However, this delay in noticing it was all the Nevermore needed; it hovered in midair, before curling its wings inwards, letting loose its deadly feathers.

The feathers impaled the ground and hit several of the soldiers directly, killing them almost instantly. However, before the entire unit was wiped out by the one Nevermore, Winter saw the officer holding a narrower rocket launcher, quickly firing a rocket at it. The Nevermore flew to evade, yet to Winter's amazement the rocket actually followed it, before its warhead separated and detonated in several smaller charges. Yet despite how amazing the rocket launcher was; the damage was done.

Winter could only watch as the Grimm, with the men manning the grenade launchers dead and several of their comrades injured from the feather fall, rushed in and began slaughtering the unit. Yet Winter could only watch in morbid fascination as the soldiers, desperate to take out the Grimm and buy their comrades time, pulled the pins of their grenades in their death throes, taking the Grimm that killed them with them.

All that was left of the soldiers was two soldiers and the officer. Winter decided that support would take too long, and that her best course of action would be to exfiltrate the remaining survivors. She used several glyphs to speed and direct her to the officer, bypassing the Grimm. When she got to the officer, she saw a Beowulf try to slash at him. She tried to stab it, only for the gesture to be pointless as the officer raised a pistol in his off hand and fired point blank into its mouth, blowing its brains outs.

"Sir, you and your men need to come with me; we are too surrounded and support is too far out and won't have a place to land here!" Winter said as she went and slashed the throat of a Beowulf that came up behind her. The officer nodded, and was about to order his men, but two things happened.

The first was that a Ursa Minor got in range and mauled one of the soldiers that was standing next to a ammo crate, but not before the soldier primed a grenade. The other soldier, seeing the grenade, pushed the officer and Winter away, before he, his fallen comrade, and the Ursa Minor disappeared in a massive fireball. This left only the officer and Winter.

"We've got to move!" Winter said, grabbing ahold of him, before using her glyphs to get them out of the fallen position. Before they sped off however, the officer threw a grenade into one of the surviving ammo crates, which caused one hell of an explosion, taking out several Grimm in the process. Winter, with the officer in tow, dashed towards an open area she knew that the Bullheads could land.

A few moments later thanks to the speed glyphs, Winter and the officer arrive at the open area. Winter was about to ask the officer his name and what he and his men were doing, but she was pushed aside almost instantly. She was about to curse the officer, only to see him fire a burst from his main-hand's gun into an Alpha Beowulf, which had somehow managed to keep up with her. However, the Alpha was able to land a glancing blow on the officer's head, sending the officer down to the ground knocked out.

Winter immediately checked for a pulse, and was glad that despite the gash from the blow, he had a normal if slightly elevated pulse. But the sound of several growls forced her to turn her attention away from the officer and towards the several Beowolves, who all lunged at her. She swung her sabre across its next, before rotating in place and using her parrying dagger to stab one of the Beowolves in the eye. She activated her semblance and used a inertia dampening glyph to stop a swipe from one of the Beowolves. She slashed the Beowulf across the chest before burying her dagger in its skull, killing it while it was wondering how it didn't kill her.

She was about to kill the forth Beowulf, only to hear the telltale noise of the chain guns opening up on the Arrowhead dropship. It gunned downed the Beowulf that she was about to take down, before opening sustained fire on the tree line, mowing down the advancing Grimm. She saw a second one nearing the ground towards her, with the piloting shouting for her to get on. Grabbing the officer, Winter got on the second Arrowhead, before the rear door ramp closed up. Setting the officer in one of the Arrowhead's seat, Winter took a seat opposite and ordered the pilot to take them out.

As the two Arrowsheads retreated back to HQ, Winter leaned back in the seat, looking over the officer. Now that they weren't fighting for their lives, Winter took a closer look at the officer. Roughly 190 cm tall, lean body build that melded with a good amount of muscle, with a couple of scars marring his slightly pale skin, and blonde hair that was buzzed cut. Looking at his uniform, she saw that on his uniform that lay on top of his shoulder was a patch with a grey circle above three diamonds which had oak leaves wreathed on the bottom diamond, and finally he had a number of ribbons that seemed important.

The three ribbons had alternating patterns of Black, Red, and gold, with one having the word 'gefecht' in the middle, another having gold oak leaves on the center, and finally, there was a ribbon 'Nemesis' in the red section. It was at this time that Winter spied a medal wrapped around his neck. Being careful not to disturb him, she took a glance at the medal, and saw it was similar to the second ribbon, with the neck strap sharing the same colors, which led to a gold cross with a circle that held an Eagle over another cross.

Winter placed the medal back to where it was, wondering what the medals and ribbons represented. She knew that Atlas had some medals, usually reserved for those that served above and beyond the call of duty, but no other kingdom really had medals for their soldiers or huntsmen. The common consensus was that duty and recognition were enough for them, and that by having medals it caused undue competition amongst the rank and file. But for Atlas, where perfection was constantly sought after, this mentality didn't apply.

"Specialist, we are two minutes out from HQ," the pilot said, interrupting her thoughts. "Please have the…VIP ready for the medical staff. Also, General Ironwood wants to debrief you once we land."

"Understood," Winter said, before sighing. She really did wonder who this officer was, but she had a debrief to get ready for. Which meant paperwork. Winter groaned in frustration; she despised paperwork.

* * *

It had taken three hours for the debriefing to finish and for the salvage/medical team to return, but in the end, James had more questions than answers.

From Winter's firsthand account, it was clear that the soldiers had training, were highly disciplined, and had competent weapons, yet several things failed to add up. First, it appeared that neither the officer nor his soldiers had their aura's active, which was practically suicide when operating in Grimm-held territories. Next the weapons didn't seem to use any dust; no instead they used a nitric-based propellant to propel either explosive warheads or copper encased lead rounds. Finally, the only melee weapons they had were nine inch blades, which was extremely odd as the standard for Atlas was at least a shorts word or some equivalent, be it in blade or blunt form.

The next thing was that, like Winter had noted, their uniforms were not like any used by a PMC or one of the kingdom's military. From design the closest they resembled were from Atlas, but the color and details were wrong. It was highly unlikely that a caravan group or some remote town would put this much effort into their uniforms, so it made no sense.

However, as Ironwood and Winter walked to the infirmary where the officer was resting, Ironwood wondered why the officer looked familiar. It was like de ja vu, but he could put a name to the face. It was driving him mad, the officer's face taunting his thoughts.

"Hello General, specialist, here is the findings from our tests," greeted Dr. Braun, a frail-looking old man, handing Ironwood a file. "We discovered something odd about our friend here." Before James could ask, Winter beat him by asking.

"What is odd about the officer?" Winter asked. Braun rubbed his chin.

"Well, we took blood to see if he had any illness we needed to worry about, and thinking to down two birds with one stone, I had his DNA tested on the database, and there was a hit."

"That good then; we know his identity and we can begin piecing together some of the things that aren't adding up," James said. Braun shook his head.

"Alas, the results are seemingly impossible," Braun said. "Take a look General and you'll see the issue." James raised an eyebrow, wondering what Braun was hinting at, before opening the file. He skipped down to the DNA results, and his blood ran cold.

The results showed a match to a missing person case, one that he and Ozpin had interest in due to it being related to their old friend Nicholas Arc. Roughly three months ago, Nicholas Arc and his wife Jean went missing along with their seven daughters and one son during their routine vaction from their home to Vale. Ozpin and James had poured any spare resources they could into finding their friend and his family, only to come up completely empty.

Yet here this officer was, looking in his mid thirties, yet with the DNA match of Nicholas's 15 year-old son Jaune Arc. James's next words summed up the entire situation.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: And that's a wrap! Yes, it's another crossover, it's not like I already have like twelve other stories I could be writing on, but this idea struck gold and hasn't let go. So to answer some questions that you guys are likely to be having.**

 **-Rise of the Reds: 'What the hell is 'Rise of the Reds'?' some of you may be thinking. Well, to put it bluntly, it's a partial conversion mod of Command and Conquer Zero Hour, building upon the games three main factions (the Chinese, the US, and the terrorist GLA factions), and then adding two new factions; the Russian Federation and the European Continental Army (ECA). The mod is still going strong despite some setbacks with a Microsoft update the prevents CD-based games from being played, and it is by far my favorite mod out there. So if that is all you want to know about the mod, go down to the next bullet, otherwise keeping reading onwards.**

 **The mod was first released in 2008, and back then it was pretty broken. The original factions weren't modified, and Russia was filled with either pretty crappy units or units verging on being overpoweringly broken. But then SWR got the team down and they began fleshing out not only the factions, but the lore behind ROTR. For the next eight years they made a cohesive story, overhauled all of the original factions, implemented several unique things missing from CnC: ZH, and made a booming community.**

 **As it sits, ROTR is verging on its most anticpated feature: unique Generals that will appear in ROTR 2.0. It was while I was going over the lore of one of the upcoming ECA generals that got me thinking; just how would a character from RWBY fair in dying days of the First GLA war up to the opening salvos of ROTR's WW3?**

 **-Remnant vs ROTR's Earth: The first thing I considered was fairly obvious; the cultural differences between the two worlds. In Remnant, the two biggest threats are the terrorist White Fang and the legions of Grimm under Salem. Meanwhile on Earth, there maybe no Grimm to worry about, but the GLA and later Alexsandr's Shock Brigades certainly level the playing field. This in turn made me consider the technological and military standing of both worlds.**

 **In ROTR, the five factions are large armies that have resources, are fighting for territorial control, and waging war on a scale never before seen. The use of WMDs in ROTR are widespread, with the Chinese using liberal use of nuclear weapons and napalm-based concoctions, the ECA has access to a solar-powered death laser and neutron warhead equipped railguns, and the Russians have the Tremor AGAS and their nuclear ICBMs, just to list a few. In addition, the soldiers are trained to fit their countries needs and are not independent super-powered warriors.**

 **But on Remnant, the situation is vastly different. There appears to be no WMDs, the hunters hold more power than standing armies, and what armies do exist are filled with rather untrained forces that are largely supplemented (in Atlas's cases) with drones. That said, hunters have access to some insane powers, and Atlas does have an impressive air fleet.**

 **But how do the two compare? Well that is going to be a focal point in the story, where the unlucky bastard that goes by the name Jaune Arc buts heads with the likes of Ozpin, the Council, and Ironwood. None of them are inhenrtainly wrong in their views and opinions as far as how best to protect Remnant, but it's a difference of doctrines.**

 **-Last things to talk about: Some of you may be wondering when this story takes places, and I have the answer; two years before the first episode of RWBY. The reason for this is simple and alluded to earlier, but since I don't want to spoil anything, you are going to have to wait.**

 **In addition, something that's going to become clear quickly is that I have an issue with RWBY's dependence on their 'legends'. It's not that they are bad per say, but they feel rushed, and largely ignoring the struggles that occur earlier on in RWBY. So while they will make an appearance, expect Jaune to object to relying on them to save humanity, as from his experience on Earth, no one man can make the difference.**

 **That's all I'm going to talk about, sorry for the long ass Author's note, but I felt I needed to speak about these subjects. So until next time…wait, the next chapter is already posted, so get to it! I'll catch you guys in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two: A Meeting of Two Officers_**

* * *

James Ironwood handed the file over to Winter Schnee, walking up to the resting officer. James tried to wrap his head around what the file concluded, looking over the officer to find anything that screamed bullshit. However, the more he looked, the more James could see similar features on his good friend on this man. Both had shaggy blonde hair, both had a strong jawline, both were similar in their general body build, hell if he didn't know Nicholas was missing and he hadn't read the file, he would think he was seeing his friend in the bed.

But alas, he knew both of these things, causing the General to wearily sigh. He saw Winter's confusion, trying to figure out how a 15 year old became a middle age man, and sadly so was he. He walked up to the doctor.

"Dr. Braun, do you know anything that could rapidly age someone?" James inquired. Dr. Braun rubbed his chin.

"Well, as you know, there are some semblances that work by altering time, but all of these would leave signs in the subject's bones, which I checked for. He doesn't have any signs of a time semblance being used on him. In addition, it wouldn't explain his uniform or the weapons he and his men were using," Dr. Braun said.

"But there is no way for him to be 15 three months ago only to be in his mid-thirties now," Winter said. Dr. Braun shrugged.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have anything I can say to explain this," the doctor said apologetically. A pager went off, causing the doctor to look at his scroll before turning to Ironwood. "If you will excuse me general, but apparently a solider had his weapon blown up in his face and is suffering from metal shards being embedded in his hands and face."

"Of course, but before you go, do you think it would be alright to wake… Mr. Arc up?" Braun paused before nodding.

"Yes, the blow he took to his head wasn't anything serious. The most likely reason he is resting now is due to physical and mental exhaustion; I noticed he was slightly dehydrated, has bags under his eyes, and his leg…ah, it's best you see for yourself."

Before James could ask what he meant, Dr. Braun strolled out of the infirmary to seek out the misfortunate soldier. Winter and Ironwood both looked at each other before walking up to the bed where the officer was lying down. The two pondered how to wake the officer up for a moment, before Ironwood went with something that always had worked for him.

* * *

"I love you Jaune," a pale woman with white hair and yellow eyes said, before an explosion ripped into his view. He could only watch helplessly as the fireball consume his vision, before feeling the impact hit him.

"FUCK!" Jaune shouted, curling up in the bed…wait. He saw that while he remained in his uniform, his beret was off, the Bundeswehr Cross of Honor for Valor wasn't around his neck, and his MP57 PDW and HK.23 pistol weren't on him. He then noticed that there were two people next to the bed he was in.

The first was that strange woman that fought with a sabre and dagger against the Grimm, if he recalled the name correctly, still in that white uniform. However, the second person was a tall man that screamed officer to him. His short hair, broad shoulders, the crisp uniform, everything screamed officer to Jaune.

"Hello, apologies for waking you up the way I did, I didn't know-" the man began to say, before Jaune waved the concern off.

"Well, I would've been up soon enough, you just cut into a bad memory of mine," Jaune said. "So…why exactly am I here, and who are you two?" The man nodded, seemingly understanding what Jaune had meant about 'bad memories'.

"First, my name is General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Army, and this is Specialist Winter Schnee," the man, now ID as James, replied. "As to why you are here, well, Specialist Schnee stumbled upon-"

"My command group getting ripped to ribbons by Grimm, yeah, I remember that. But why am I here in this…infirmary if I had to guess?"

"Ah, I see. Due to your uniform and the weapons your men were using, we brought you here to check for injuries, see if we could ID you, and then interrogate you about your group's prescence near Atlas and a known Grimm hotspot. But upon a DNA test, we are extremely confused. So, first off, what is your name?"

"My name is Jaune Arc, Oberst or Colonel, of the Bundeswehr 115th Panzer-Jager Division, attached to the 7th Panzer Division under the command of my foster father General Wolfgang," Jaune replied, hoping to kill two birds with one stone. However, he saw Ironwood blanch.

"Foster father?" Ironwood rhetorically asked. "Jaune, what happened to your father?" Jaune sighed; if there was one thing he never wanted to remember, it was the day his life changed.

"He's dead," Jaune simply answered. "Died trying to shield my mother and sisters from a damned terrorist's bomb truck."

"What, no bomb truck could kill Nicholas!" Ironwood shouted. "I saw him tank a hit from a one hundred pound dust bomb and came out looking no worse for wear!" At this response, Jaune darkly chuckled.

"Well sadly, the dump truck used was filled to the brim with high explosives, roughly seven tons of explosives," Jaune said. "It took out the city block; I only survived because I was sent back to collect my father's weapon and had tripped into a fucking ditch."

Winter and James paled at this revelation; no one had ever used a bomb larger than a hundred pounds, as resources were scarce and no Grimm except the Behemoth-class required a bomb much larger than that to kill. As James remained numbed to the revelation that his close friend and his family save jaune were dead, Winter took up the interrogation.

"And when was this exactly?" Winter asked. Jaune blew out a breath, taking a moment to think.

"Well, the date wouldn't matter to you guys as for reason I still don't know we weren't on Remnant at the time, but for me its been nineteen years," Jaune answered before he clenched his jaw as a shooting pain shot through his leg.

"Wait, nineteen years?" Winter asked. "But your family went missing only three months ago." Jaune forced himself to ignore the phantom pain for a moment to level a glare at Winter.

"Bullshit, I remember the exact day I had my family ripped from me by those damned GLA terrorists, and I damn well know its been nineteen fucking years. Nineteen years since I saw my sisters last laugh, nineteen years since I felt the warm embrace of my mother's hug, and it was nineteen fucking years since I saw their faces before the explosion consumed them and left nothing behind! So don't you fucking bullshit me about it only being three months!"

Winter felt the sheer anguish at Jaune's declaration, and she barely withheld from wincing. Thankfully, she was spared being burned to the ground by Jaune's glare by James grabbing his scroll and handing it over to Jaune.

"This is proof enough that we're not lying Mr. Arc," James said. Jaune held his tongue, before looking at the live video on the scroll.

"And today the 2013's Mistral regional fighting tournament concludes with Pyrrha Nikos, last year's champion, winning the tournament against her opponent Eric Sharpton with no aura lost."

Jaune tuned the rest of the conversation out, as he thought about what his family was doing before ending up on Earth. They were going on their annual vacation to Vale, where his father took the family to enjoy some of the city's entertainment. It was always shortly after the New Year, which was around the time most of the regional tournaments for aspiring hunters and huntress that his sisters and father enjoyed watching began. And due to the large number of entries, it generally took three months to whittle it down to the top two fighters.

Jaune felt a great weight fall on his shoulders. For him, it had been nineteen years of hardships, agony, and eventually great compassion only to be ripped away from him violently, but for Ironwood and Winter, it had only been three months. He began to process this information, wondering what would happen to him. He was alone back on Remnant, where his skills, talents, and knowledge of his history on Earth was effectively wiped out.

"I believe you Mr. Arc, but then we have a lot to discuss," General Ironwood said. "So, mind explaining what happened to your family when you guys went missing? Also, what is this Bundeswehr and-" Jaune raised his hand.

"I'll explain everything General, but can I get something to drink first; this explanation will take a long time to go through." James nodded and sent Winter to get a couple glasses of water.

"Very well, now lets begin; what happened to your family before they…died?" Jaune sighed.

"Well, what do you know about parallel universes?"

* * *

 _19 years ago, January 2028, Berlin, Germany_

* * *

"Jaune, get up!" A fifteen year old Jaune Arc blearily opened his eyes, only to begin hearing gun fire, explosions, and sirens ringing in his ear. He saw his father looking at him with a look of apprehension.

"Dad, what's going on?" Jaune asked, only to flinch as he heard the tearing of metal as an explosion rang out. His father took a deep breath.

"I don't know Jaune, none of us do. One moment we are sleeping in our mobile home at the rest station outside of Vale, and the next we find ourselves in some parking garage it looks like in a warzone," his father said. "I haven't a clue what's going on, but I don't think it is safe for us to stay here."

"Daddy, I'm scared." Jaune heard his youngest sister Crystal say. He watched as his father pat her head.

"Don't worry sweetie, daddy will get us out of here safely," Nicholas Arc said, trying to comfort his daughter. He then looked at everyone in the mobile home before speaking.

"Right now, none of us know where we are, or what is going on outside. However, I don't think it is a Grimm invasion, as there is too many explosions and gunfire for it to be a Grimm attack. That said, we will need to collect what we need before leaving this vehicle."

"Nicholas, are you mad?!" Jaune's mother Jean shouted. "Our vehicle-"

"-will only make us a bigger target, and we would be forced to drive along predesigned roads," Nicholas said. "No, if it's a warzone as we all hear, going on the main roads will lead us to being ambushed and open to incoming fire. So everyone, get into your warm clothes and carry whatever your mother and I say to carry."

No one argued, as everyone was unsure of what was going on. Jaune put his hoodie on, which also had his chest plate that his father had given him last year in the hopes of inspiring Jaune to become a huntsman. However, Jaune didn't think much about facing the closest thing to pure evil in the form of Grimm as something he wanted to do. But as he wore the chest plate, he felt marginally calmer, glad to have some protection against whatever was happening out there.

Soon, the family was all bundled up in warm clothes, and his father and mother went to the door. His father pointed to Jaune's older twin sisters.

"Sapphire, Amethyst, you will keep an eye on your brother and sisters, while your mother and I scout ahead, making sure the path is clear. Don't let any of them out of your sight."

"Yes father," both sisters said. Jaune then saw his father open the door, and a few moments later saw his head pop back in the mobile home.

"Alright guys, I found the exit to this garage, follow closely behind and don't stray off." Everyone nodded, and soon the Arc family made their way slowly out of the parking garage. When they got to the exit, Jaune was shocked by what he saw.

Instead of the large brick buildings with pointed rooftops and other minor details like holographic street lights, this area appeared built up with large concrete buildings with entire faces of buildings covered in windows with flat roofs, yet also interlaced with older looking buildings built along open streets. It felt different from Vale, that much Jaune knew.

However, he saw his father cross the street and got around to the back of a building, before waving his family over. The Arcs dashed across the street and met up with their father, where Jaune saw his father peering around the corner. Jaune wondered what his father was doing when he heard voices getting closer. Due to living in a community with little variety in their language, Jaune didn't recognize it, yet apparently his father did to a point.

"Who or what are the GLA?" Nicholas asked to himself, before moving his hand to his waist, only to feel the weapon he used, a 6-shot hand cannon that Jaune couldn't remember the name of, not on his waist. However, the voices were getting closer, and Nicholas made a snap decision.

"Jaune, go back to the mobile home. Next to the driver seat in the door is my pistol. Get it and come back," Nicholas ordered. Jaune nodded, understanding why he was being sent; he was easily the fastest of the family. Whatever their semblance was, it made the Arcs kind of sluggish. Thankfully, Jaune hadn't found his semblance, and thus free to run as fast as possible.

He darted back to the garage, made his way to the level the mobile home was in, and went to the driver's door. He opened it, and quickly found the hand cannon, but before he could rush back to his family, he heard voices. It was different from the first set, but what caused Jaune to freeze was the jingling of bullets coming from where the voice came from.

The voices and the jingling was getting closer, and Jaune didn't know what to do; run, hide, or fight. He wanted to dismiss fighting; after all, he didn't have a clue what was going on. Hiding would be a great option, if the mobile home wasn't practically the only vehicle to hide near. Running would be his best bet, if he hadn't stalled for so long.

"Who are you?!" Jaune jumped, before turning to see five men standing over him. Well, men might be an overstatement; of the five, only one looked to be over 20, with the rest being between fifteen and eighteen. However their age didn't matter as all were carrying various weapons and ammo. One of the men had a tube with a scope and a pointed warhead, most were carrying assault rifles with wooden pieces and banana clips, and the oldest of the five had a long-barreled belt fed machine gun.

"I'm Jaune Arc," Jaune answered, not liking the looks the group was giving him, especially the one with the tube, as while his face was covered in a tan balaclava, his eye's shone in a fashion Jaune imagined a madman's eye would.

"Heh, tell me Jaune Arc, what are you doing here in the middle of a warzone?" the older man asked. Jaune debated telling them the truth, but as the group slowly pointing their barrels at him his will to hide the truth crumbled.

"My father sent me to collect his pistol so he could keep our family safe as we got out of the city and the fighting," Jaune said. The man smirked.

"Well, what coward sends his teenage son to collect his weapon in a warzone?" taunted the man, and the others chuckled. Before Jaune could resist, the one with the large tube disarmed Jaune and handed the pistol to the oldest man in the group. The man whistled in appreciation.

"My, this is a mighty fine hand cannon, a shame your father isn't going to have this. But because you spoke the truth, we'll let you live, and remember; the GLA spared your life today so don't resist the cause!"

While he was spared death, that didn't mean they left him unbeaten. The leader kicked Jaune in the face hard enough to cause Jaune's head to hit the mobile home. The men took turns kicking the shit out of Jaune, who curled up in a ball and covered his head with his arms instinctively. After a few moments, the men moved on, leaving Jaune to nurse his wounds and figure out how to tell his father he lost his prized pistol.

Getting up, Jaune noted that the sounds of gunfire were getting closer. He began making his way back to his family, all the while keeping an eye out for those men that beat him up. He got out of the garage and across the street, only to trip into a ditch just a hundred yards away from his family. His sister Crystal cried out for him, causing the Arc family to look at him. Jaune tried to get up, but a chain of event occurred that would haunt him to this very day.

Crystal's shouting had attracted the attention of the local military police, who began moving out of their position to found who had cried out and possible help them out. Alas, the city of Berlin was caught up in an insurrection caused by the GLA.

When the MPs gave their position away, one of the GLA commanders ordered a bomb truck to roll out and destroy the position that MP came from. The bomb truck, a modified dump truck disguised as a supply truck with a reinforced grill and run flat tires, rumbled to life. Gaining speed, the MPs were to slow to react to the massive bomb truck, and the driver pressed down on the detonator of the seven tons of explosives that were in the back, but not before shouting words that cause untold amounts of wrath to build up in Jaune.

"For the GLA!" the driver shouted. Jaune saw his family, his father's concerned face, his mother's distraught, and his sisters' fear, one last time before a massive explosion ripped through the area. Jaune didn't see much, as his body reacted faster than his mind could and he ducked into the ditch, but he felt the devastation the bomb truck had. The nearby buildings, not designed to withstand several tons of high explosives detonating, began to crumble inwards on themselves, crushing people who sought to hide from the GLA inside the building. The resulting collapse caused dust and debris to rain down everywhere.

Jaune was largely protected from shrapnel caused by the explosion thanks to the ditch, but the debris that went high in the air began to rain down into everywhere, including the ditch. With his hearing shot due to the explosion, Jaune didn't hear the whistle of a jagged piece of concrete before feeling it as it glanced off his head. Yet it impacted hard enough to knock the blonde out. He collapsed in the ditch, unaware of what was happening around him.

* * *

 _Atlas Huntsman Academy's infirmary, Kingdom of Atlas._

* * *

"My god, who the hell would use a dump truck loaded with explosives and then willingly kill themselves?" James asked, horrified at the tale he heard. He had seen many horrible things that some desperate people did, such as willingly opening a gate to let Grimm flood the city they were trying to flee from. But this went above anything the General was used to. The budding violence of the White Fang seemed to pale in contrast to fanatics who sacrificed themselves to kill people. Winter was silent, but James noted her hands were gripping the glass extremely tightly.

"Yes sir, the GLA was…fond of it, and some cells were dedicated to mastering the 'art' of suicide bombing," Jaune replied bitterly. "First it was the bombmaker Rodall Juhziz, then it was the leader of the White Falcon Cell Abdul bin Yusuuf and that damned lieutenant of his Qahira Zaima." At this point, Winter finally spoke up since Jaune began recalling what happened to his family.

"Who or what is the GLA?" Jaune blinked, before shaking his head.

"Thank God Remnant never had to deal with the GLA," Jaune said before taking a sip of water. "Where to begin? Well, the GLA, or the Global Liberation Army, is a massive conglomeration of various terrorist cells that had one very rough goal; destroying foreign imperialism on their land."

"The spark notes version is that through the 2010s, its founder General Mohmar 'Deathstrike' formed a collation of various leaders, most of whom would become the current 'generals' of the GLA, began amassing an army, before in 2019 Deathstrike made his first move. Using a nuclear weapon that a traitorous Chinese General gave him, he detonated the 5-kiloton nuclear weapon in Beijing during the PRC, or People's Republic of China, 70th anniversary military parade, marking the start of the GLA War. For ten years the GLa fought all across central Asia, the Middle East, before the final battle in Europe, where the GLA was 'defeated' and expelled from the aforementioned areas in theory after the Battle of Hamburg, where Rodall Juhziz detonated a dirty nuke before the remaining GLA fighters in Europe were defeated by the Chinese Army."

"In reality, the war was a victory for them. Yes, China became the world's superpower, but the US and her allies in Europe were in tatters, and most of the GLA's leadership remained intact. In fact, General Deathstrike fled with his second Anwar Sulaymaan to North Africa where they were greeted not by protesting citizens but rather adoring masses who saw Deathstrike as a liberator and the slayer of Imperialism. The GLA then went a period of relative quiet as it fell into infighting when Deathstrike 'retired', but his death in 2032 allowed Anwar to take control over the GLA."

"Holy hell, what about the world, why didn't anyone stop them?!" Ironwood shouted. Jaune sighed.

"Its kind of hard to fight a war when your country had to deal with an economic downfall, civil distress, and or been fighting for several decades. Europe was finically broken by the GLA War, having to rely on China to rebuild themselves. The US went into extreme isolation and suffered an economic crash which caused them to downsize their military and caused a couple of their own Generals to revolt. As for China, well they were rebuilding Europe and Central Asia, so they had their hands full so they couldn't take the fight to the GLA in North Africa or the Middle East." Jaune answered.

James took a deep breath, angered that such an extreme terrorist group was able to wreak havoc and remain intact, but he understood that sometimes it is better to stop chasing your enemy rather than risking a civil war due to economic troubles. James then decided to ask some questions that he had about Jaune himself.

"Well, going away from the GLA for now, what is this Bundeswehr and Panzer-Jager company you mentioned earlier that you were a part of?" James asked.

"The Bundeswehr is the German Federation's army. However, due to the rise of the European Continental Alliance, the Bundeswehr is one of the several armies that form the European Continental Army, which while each army may run things their way, they must use the weapons the ECA had decided to use and follow the ECA's military operations. As for my company, the 115th Panzer-Jaeger was one of several dedicated anti-tank companies formed to counter the threat of enemy tank formations. Usually my company and others like it were running across the front, fighting where intel indicated the enemy armored forces be."

"I see, so what are tanks?" James asked. "I haven't come across that term during my time in the military." Jaune paused, almost as though it was inconceivable that James couldn't have heard about tanks before groaning.

"I forget this is Remnant and not Earth," Jaune moaned in dismay. "Short answer is this; tanks are tracked armored fighting vehicles that generally carry a massive cannon in a turret that can fire high explosive shells or armor piercing shells, designed to support infantry in their pushes. It was my job to use my tanks and tank destroyers to find and neutralize the enemy tanks."

"Ah, I see now, but that doesn't seem useful for against the Grimm," James said. Jaune shook his head.

"Earth doesn't have Grimm to deal with, so their equipment is tailored to fight against one another, to devastating effect," Jaune stated. He raised a hand to stop the protest that James and Winter were about to begin. "Seriously, if there is one thing I've learned from my time on Earth it's this; there is no peace, only an interlude until the next war. Man will always fight against one another, for whatever belief they use to justify war. Religion, economies, peace, land, whatever it is, it doesn't matter."

James and Winter saw that Jaune was tired, as though this truth weighed on him like a ball and chain. James was able to sympathize with Jaune, while Winter felt pity for him, which made to two of them want to get off the topic of war. As if sensing their desire to get off the topic, Ironwood's scroll pinged. He checked and saw it was from Ozpin.

"Well Mr. Arc, until we finish discussing what had happened for the last nineteen years and can determine what to do with you, you will be lodging in one of the officer's room. Specialist Winter will show you to the room. If you need anything, the room has an intercom system linked to the various facilities, and give them the code Winter will give you so they know you are supposed to be here. I have a meeting to attend to, so if you'll excuse me…"

Jaune watched as the general left the room, before he saw Winter hand him an envelope. Opening it he saw his ribbons and medal were inside, along with a slip of paper with a twenty digit code.

"If you will follow me Mr. Arc we will get you settled into your room," Winter said. Jaune nodded, getting up. Winter's eyes slightly widened as she saw Jaune's left robotic leg and the small battery that rested on his lower back. Jaune saw this and shook his head.

"If this is shocking to you, then you should see some of the more unfortunate bastards that lost more than a leg," Jaune said. "In war, losing a leg is bad, but some men I knew were left little more than drooling bodies due to damages to their brain, and then there are the unlucky sods who suffered from injuries caused by things like radiation, napalm, and chemical weapons. Those kinds of injuries stick around for life."

"It sounds like where you had come back from is hell," Winter said. Jaune shrugged.

"It can be, but on the other hand it can be like heaven, just depends where and where you are," Jaune answered. The two remained silent until eventually they arrived at the room Jaune would be temporarily residing in. Jaune punched in the code for the room and saw it was a modest affair; a bed in one corner, a desk with shelves along a wall, and finally a TV with some machines for whatever downtime the officer might have.

"Well, here we are, dinner is generally served at six, so when it comes time just use the intercom to call in a meal," Winter said. She paused for a moment. "One last thing Mr. Arc before I leave, were the GLA the worst thing back on Earth?"

She saw Jaune's features darken, his fists clenched so tightly Winter saw blood bleeding out of the wounds his nails had caused.

"Regrettably they aren't the worst, which is saying something," Jaune growled out. "No, by far the worst people are General Alexsandr and his god forsaken Shock Divisions. They make the GLA look like undisciplined soldiers with anger issues."

"They are that bad?" Winter asked confused. "But I thought the GLA-" Jaune chuckled darkly.

"Put it to you this way; the Shock Divisions are well known for using prisoners of war as target practice, and they didn't shy away from public executions in conquered areas," Jaune said. Before Winter could speak up, Jaune spoke up once more.

"I'm tired and I've lost a lot of good friends today, so I would like some time to myself if it's no different to you Specialist Schnee." Winter only nodded, staying in place after Jaune closed the door. She felt slightly sick, as what kind of monster would use prisoners as targets?

* * *

 **Author's Note: Damn, long chapter, but it covers a lot of ground quickly. So onto some points.**

 **-Jaune's affliations with the ECA: I choose to have Jaune join them as in ROTR's timeline, the ECA get involved in a lot of things, including Operation Nemesis (more on that later in the story), the failed attempt to rescue General Orlov's forces in Africa against the GLA (very critical this point, both in ROTR's canon and this story's) and finally World War 3, where the ECA is on the backfoot in the beginning due to the Russian Juggernaut smashing through their lines and making it as far as the Lowlands, France, and the British Isles.**

 **But also, I don't see Jaune working for the GLA (they are terrorists), China (too large a cultural change and he would stand out like a sore thumb), America (America would be in the decline and going through military downsizing after the First GLA war), or Russia (already have a story set in Endwar's canon with Ruby fighting for the Russians, plus there are some elements that wouldn't make it conductive for Jaune to be fighting for Russia). So the ECA being quite possibly the closest culturally to what he would be used to plus he shares a lot with the ECA's general opinion on things (terrorists need to be brought down, personal freedoms, etc).**

 **-Tanks in Remnant (or why there aren't any): For a while, I was puzzled as to why Remnant has airships, drones, and the Paladin combat mech, but no tanks. But then I thought about the main threat Remnant faces; the Grimm. The Grimm have armor to be sure, but its clear that huntsmen's weapons can pack quite a punch (see Coco cutting a Deathstalker in half), and the nature of how the four kingdoms form themselves; they choose areas that is difficult terrain to limit the Grimm they face. Tanks may be able to traverse difficult terrain, but you know what works better? Airships that can bypass terrain, drones that can walk between trees and aren't hampered as badly in things like mud, snow, sand, and finally Mechs, which are a little eccentric but are shown to be fairly mobile.**

 **Tanks also are expensive to produce, and if you never had experience building one, it would be a massive drain should the tanks you build get smashed to bits and pieces before they have any noticeable impact.**

 **That said, Remnant is about to see what tanks (and other things that would seem to be a no brainer unless you consider that Remnant doesn't have the luxary or peace to develop them) can provide. For instance, tanks are fucking tough, and won't be bitch punched like the Paladin did when Roman thought to face Yang with it, they can mount huge ass cannons (which btw, where the hell are they on Remnant? You literally so no big ass guns to blast hordes of Grimm to a bloody mess), and finally you could use them to protect forces on the ground with them like a shield line would do in ancient to medieval battles.**

 **-Jaune's role in Remnant: It will be shown in the next chapter, but suffice it to say, Jaune will be implementing his experiences on Earth to keep Remnant safe from the Grimm and to hunt down the White Fang (and others, but that's for later). But he will have some obstacles, such as the Council (arrogant pieces of shit who refuse to see the larger picture if it means a loss of power for them), the SDC (Jaune will meet Jacques Schnee, and let's say it will be quite memorable), and finally the huntsmen's society, for reason that will be explained later. So just wait, it'll be great.**

 **That's it for now, so read the next chapter, and I'll catch you guys next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3: Reviewing The situation_**

* * *

 _Present time, Ironwood's Office, Atlas_

* * *

Ironwood sighed as he sat in his chair before punching in his code to begin the meeting with Ozpin. A holographic screen popped up, and Ironwood couldn't refrain from groaning as he saw that not only was it Ozpin, but he brought that miserable drunk of a huntsman Qrow Branwen into the meeting.

"What, not glad to see me Jimmy, am I not so uptight you could feed me coal and have me shit out diamonds?" Qrow drunkenly asked.

"No, but you are always drunk and a pain in the ass to deal with Branwen, so to keep this short, what are you calling me about Ozpin?" James asked, trying to ignore the various swears that Qrow was spewing his way.

"I was calling about if you had anything on your end with regards to the Arc family," Ozpin said. "All of my sources have come up dry, and Qrow's…"

"Silent as a coffin," Qrow muttered bitterly. "I mean, you would think that some upshot asshole that wants to make Remnant his oyster would be reveling in taking the Arcs out or holding them hostage, but no one is claiming responsibility for their disappearance."

"So, anything come up for you?" Ozpin asked. James refrained from frowning as he thought. On one hand, he could tell Ozpin everything he knows about Mr. Arc who was now in his own room, but how to do it without looking mad? On the other, he could withhold that information, keep all the knowledge that Mr. Arc knows and the details of his weapons that he and his men were using a secret. But that would mean lying to the one man that he could reasonable say held the needs of Remnant before his own. In the end he decided to upload the medical files and send them to both men before speaking.

He waited as he saw Ozpin and Qrow read the file for a moment, before Qrow came out with his response.

"Bull fucking shit, you believe this Jimmy?" Qrow angrily asked. "You really believe this 34-year old man is the 15-year old son of Nicholas Arc? Have you lost you-"

"Qrow, peace," Ozpin said. "While I have a hard time believing this, DNA doesn't lie, especially if it was gotten from the source and compared to a known sample. So, James, has Jaune Arc spoken about what happened to his family?" James sighed.

"Sadly, yes he has," Ironwood confirmed. "Unfortunately, the rest of the Arcs are dead according to him, and given how passionate he was on the subject, I'm inclined to agree with him."

He saw Ozpin's and Qrow's varied reactions. Qrow threw his flask out of sight, letting out a ripple of curses that not even sailors could hope to compete with, while Ozpin shook his head in dismay. It took a moment but Ozpin finally asked the question James dreaded answering.

"So how did the Arcs die?" James sighed once more before answering.

"According to Jaune Arc, the Arc family, through means unknown to him, ended up in another world and right into the middle of a nationwide insurrection," James began. "His family were killed by a bomb truck loaded with seven tons of explosives." Qrow choked on whatever response he had prepared.

"Seven tons?! Who the fuck needs to build a bomb that large?!" Qrow shouted.

"Apparently, this Global Liberation Army, or GLA for short," James answered. "This GLA had been waging a decade long war against all the world's superpower and well off nations, and this insurrection in…'Germany' was one of the last acts in the First GLA War."

"A war lasting a decade," Ozpin muttered. "Not even the Great War lasted that long."

"Why the hell would this GLA fight for that long, I mean the Grimm…"

"'Earth' as Jaune called it had no Grimm or Dust, and as such they were left to prosper and wage war amongst one another with care about the negativity it would generate that in our world would cause the Grimm to amass," James answered. "Also, it sounds like Earth has several nations that would be able to stamp out the kingdoms, such as this China Jaune mentioned; they ended up becoming a 'superpower' and began rebuilding two war ravaged continents."

"Damn, makes you wonder what the other countries are like if one country can afford to rebuild two landmasses," Qrow said, quietly respecting the Chinese though still having his doubts about the whole 'new world' thing.

"I haven't been able to ask much, but I will be sure to find out as much as I can, as since they don't rely on Dust or deal with Grimm, 'Earth's' countries have some different opinions on what works, militarily speaking at least," James said. "That said, Ozpin, do you have any ideas on what we can have Mr. Arc do in the meantime? He has military experience, if him being a Colonel is anything to say, but with his different experiences, I don't know how he or the council will react."

Everyone in the meeting gave their form of displeasure at the mention of the council. It wasn't they were bad, certainly better than the monarchs who would wage petty wars amongst each other, but they were far from incorruptible. It wasn't unusual for the councilors to be in the pockets of those with a veritable spring of wealth, as was the case with Atlas's council being in the pocket of Jacques Schnee.

"If the kid's got experience, why not have him keep doing what he is doing?" Qrow stated. "I mean, you officers seem to be lifers for what it's worth, I doubt telling him to become a civilian would really work out well, for him and Remnant."

"I would normally agree, which is shocking since the idea came from you Qrow, but his experience were different than any of the kingdom's military. From the little bit I got from him, it sounds like Earth's armies are focused on ground warfare, as he was the CO of an anti-vehicle division. Imagine for a moment how out of the water he would be if given command of one of Atlas's Air-Cruisers."

"That wouldn't be a good use of his time that would be for sure," Qrow muttered. James sighed; he needed an answer with regards to Mr. Arc, but the most simple answer failed to work because he wouldn't be used to the doctrines employed by any of the kingdoms and would butt heads due to his experiences. Thankfully Ozpin gave him another option.

"You said that Earth doesn't have nor use Dust, is that correct?" Ozpin asked rhetorically. "Then why not have him in charge of an army research group that not only builds new tech but also tries out new doctrines?"

"Hmm, that could work, but getting it passed with the Council will be difficult…" Ozpin smirked, something James rarely saw.

"Then make it sound like his efforts are to supplement what the military already has, so that way Atlas's council's backer doesn't feel threaten by his efforts," Ozpin said. "If that doesn't work, hire him as an outside contractor so his skills aren't wasted."

"I see," James said. "Very well. I must go and see the equipment that Mr. Arc and his men had on him when we found him, I'll be sure to send you a report on their effectiveness." Ironwood didn't wait for the others before closing his display. He got up and headed to the armory, setting his mind on how to sell the Council on Mr. Arc's capabilities.

* * *

 _Present Time, Jaune's Room, Atlas_

* * *

"Tch, are you kidding me?!" Jaune cursed, angrily tossing the book he had just been reading, disgusted by what he read.

Thinking it prudent to get a lay of how Atlas ran their military in due part because he suspected General Ironwood would want to have Jaune in his fold due to his outside experience and knowledge of weapons that Remnant didn't or couldn't employ, Jaune had spent the last couple of hours reading various manuals, officer's textbooks, and researching the weapons of Remnant. But in doing so, Jaune felt the bitter taste of iron in his mouth, as he became appalled at how… _inadequate_ Atlas's military and those of the other kingdoms were.

First was the issue that it wasn't the military that had the best equipment or soldiers. No, those belonged to the huntsman academies, which followed no higher authority save perhaps the Council (which he thought was chocked full of corruption), and followed no set doctrines and had no orders other than 'kill Grimm' and on occasion national threats. The military had standardized equipment which was its one saving grace, but its men…his rookies fresh from Basic would be able to deal with the supposed 'veterans' of Atlas's military.

The standards the infantry of Atlas were held to were barely above the standard set by the military after the Second World War. In addition, despite being quoted as 'disciplined and unyielding', the average Atlesian soldier was expected to merely 'hold on until huntsman arrive' when it came to Grimm incursions. But by far the worst thing was the lack of squad level tactics. The soldiers would literally be ordered to push to an area and expected to work together despite the very lack of tactical deployment. It was like if a young kid was given command of soldiers and ordered them to just rush a hill, with no care as to how the soldiers got there and when they got there.

Next was the issue that Atlas employed a ridiculous number of drones. Jaune knew from experience that drones had their uses; the US after the First GLA War became obsessed with drones and dedicated entire war factories to pumping out drones. And you know what, they succeeded in supplementing the army the US had and performed roles that fulfilled the three Ds; dirty, dangerous, and dull.

But Atlas's drones weren't the kind the US employed; oh no, instead they were built to _replace_ soldiers. In fact, Atlas's military has a drone to human soldier ratio of, according to one source, 2 to 1. And apparently, these drones weren't that great. The Atlesian Knight-100 were equipped with 5mm submachine guns with a capacity of two hundred rounds…only. That right, these knights couldn't reload and they only carried two hundred rounds. The average FELIN rifleman in the ECA was expected to carry no less than six magazines carrying forty rounds of 5.7mm caseless ammunitions for their HKFN-22. And the knights weren't programmed to handled CQC situations, being only made to enforce the gun line that Atlas was sure was the best solution to the Grimm.

Alas this led to the third issue; lack of depth in the military. Sure, Atlas has their infantry, their crappy knights, and finally their air-cruisers, but other than that, they had nothing! No artillery, no tanks, no remote weapon systems, no landmines, no surface to air missiles, no surface to surface missiles, hell their infantry had no anti-armor weapons! If the Atlesian military encountered a fortress or high-class Grimm, their response was either use an air-cruiser to bombard it with rockets and gunfire or to call in a team of hunters.

Which in turn led to the final issue, Atlas, along with all of the other kingdoms, didn't expand in any way that made fucking sense! Instead of building a module outpost with weapon systems, a garrison of men, and then build outward before creating a walled off city, they tried to make a civilian city and expected the citizens and their undertrained militia to hold onto the ground they 'claimed'. In fact, Jaune was certain that if Vale had taken the same practices the ECA had when building a regional command center, that the disaster of Mountain Glenn could've been avoided.

A knock on his door alerted Jaune to the presence of someone at his door. He sighed, minimizing the window on the computer before he called out.

"Come in," Jaune said. The door opened, revealing Winter with a plate with a steak and potatoes.

"Hello Mr. Arc, I checked with the kitchens not too long ago to see if you had eaten, and the staff notified me they never heard from you, so I brought you something to eat," Winter said. "Though I see you were busy reading about our military. I hope its meets your expectations-"

"To be honest Specialist Winter, your military is being run into the ground by incompetency and compliancy," Jaune answered. "If what I read was put in front of the leading generals of the ECA, or for that matter any of the other major powers back on Earth, it would be laughed at and dismissed as amateurish." Winter choked, but managed to place the plate of food on the desk.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Winter asked. "I mean, I agree the military could use some adjusting and updating, but it's working isn't?" Jaune chuckled.

"Tell me Specialist, what would the Atlesian military's response to a herd of Goliaths rampaging its outlying cities?" Winter frowned for a moment, thinking what would really happen.

"Most likely, the air fleet would be martialed and sent to destroy the Goliaths before they could do too much damage," Winter answered. Jaune hummed for a moment before posing another question.

"And pray tell how long does it take for the air fleet to be martialed?" Jaune asked. "Say, for instance, the city of Ostburg at the edges of Atlas's border was under siege, how long would the air fleet take to get there?"

Winter raised an eyebrow, not quite getting where Jaune was going with this, but she decide to humor him. She knew that with a well-trained crew that an air cruiser and its compliment of Arrowhead and Bullheads and knights could be readied in an hour, and the speed of an airship was roughly 130 kilometers. Taking into account the distance from Atlas to Ostburg was roughly 650 kilometers away, she figured it would take six hours-

Winter felt her blood chill at what she realized Jaune was getting at. It would take the air fleet six fucking hours before it could arrive at Ostburg, and it wasn't the furthest city from Atlas's capital. In that time, Ostburg would likely be flattened by a large group of Goliaths.

"I glad that your response is stunned silence, as it means there is someone in this piss-poor excuse of a military with a working brain," Jaune said. "So, let me ask you this, what would be the first thing you would do if you could improve the military with a blank check?" Winter sighed.

"I probably invest in giving our cities and settlements some means to protect themselves until the military could arrive, give our soldiers weapons that could tackle large Grimm without relying on our airships, and perhaps build faster airships so they could get to our cities in a couple of hours, not in a quarter of a day," Winter answered. Jaune nodded.

"Not bad suggestions overall, but sadly the foundation Atlas's military has is quite bad. Your soldiers I hate to say are so grossly incompetent compared to what I was used to working with and against that the GLA, if they were here, would run you guys over," Jaune said. "So your suggestions would fall because the men under your command are largely incompetent." Winter bristled at the insult.

"How dare you say that?! Atlas has one of the best militaries Remnant has ever seen, it-"

"Humor me and answer this one question; how long is your military basic military training and what are the requirements for a soldier to become an officer?" Jaune asked as he cut into the steak. Winter sighed.

"Basic is five weeks, and in order to become an officer a soldier must have served at least one two-year tour of duty and go through a three-week officer's training course. Why do- Oh god, are you alright?!"

Jaune had begun to choke on his steak, shocked at Winter's answer. Winter quickly got behind Jaune and performed the Heimlich Maneuver, quickly causing him to cough up the piece of steak. He coughed a couple of times, before eventually getting his breathing back under control. He then spoke.

"On Earth, basic training is no less than eight weeks in the ECA, going up as far as twelve in some countries, and to become an officer you are expected to have gone through 4-years of higher education following high school, go through basic, and then you can go through Officer's training which lasts for roughly three to four weeks. Of course, you can bypass some of this by attending military academies like I did which cuts the time involved slightly. But on average, a private can be as young as 18-years old, while the lowest rank of officer is generally 22-years to 23-years old," Jaune answered.

"Why so much time is spent on training?" Winter asked. Jaune sighed.

"Because the time spent training is time spent instilling the soldiers with discipline and a thick skin so when they end up in combat they don't immediately fold and break rank," Jaune answered. Winter nodded, but she was still miffed that Jaune didn't have any respect for Atlas's military.

"Okay, but why do you hate Atlas's military?" Winter questioned. "What are we doing that is so…wrong?" Jaune rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment before answering.

"It's a multitude of things, but chief amongst them is that the army's response isn't to face the problem with its own resources; instead you rely on your air fleets or the huntsmen to solve problems you can't solve. This kind of thinking causes the army to stagnate, and when an army stagnates it allows for an enemy to figure out your weakness and exploit the ever-living shit out of it. I respect those that choose to serve, but they aren't getting the training or equipment they need, and they are being let down by a failure in doctrine."

"I see," Winter said quietly. "So what you would do if you could change the military?" Jaune chuckled.

"Well, first I rewrite and improve the standards of basic training, to include squad and higher level tactics, field aid, and heavy weapons training," Jaune began. "Then I would expand the weaponry the military had to include man portable anti-air and anti-armor to tackle large Grimm and armored foes, and introduce Remnant to the Panzer Division, the Engineering Corps, and finally the Artillery Brigade."

"What are Panzers-"

"Ah, Panzers is the German shorthand for tanks. The engineering corps would be mainly to build fortifications and defenses that would allow the build-up of new cities over time, and artillery- ah, nothing quite compares to the thunder of 155mm artillery shells raining down on the enemy from over thirty-five kilometers away. I doubt most Grimm horde would withstand the force of a battery of 155mm howitzers blasting away at them from that far away."

"So is artillery a big deal back on Earth?" Winter asked, slightly worried by how calm Jaune was with his description of artillery. Jaune nodded.

"Yes, every major power has some form of artillery as his disposal. The ECA has the Mortar Track which uses an auto-loading 120mm mortar, the 155mm emplaced howitzers and the Claymore cannon, the US uses their Tomahawk cruise missiles, Russia uses mostly the Gorgon SPG, and the Chinese have their Inferno Cannons and Nuke Cannons. The GLA does use artillery, but not as extensively as the aforementioned nations, as they either have to make their own from scraps or steal them from unguarded weapons depots. They used to use SCUD-D IRBMs, but they were largely neutralized during the First GLA war, so now they use the BM-21 Grad and their annoying, pesky Rocket Buggies."

"Rocket Buggies?" Winter questioned. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah, that was my reaction the first time I saw them shortly after my family died, but they are fast and mobile. But after seeing a group of three tear into a Chinese Tank column unscathed, I learned to respect them."

"Odd, but why did artillery become so popular on Earth?" Winter asked. "I mean, the biggest gun on Remnant I think was the train mounted 100mm cannon, but it was inefficient against the Grimm."

"That is because Earth has a long ass history of siege warfare," Jaune simply stated. "Whereas Remnant had to stay mobile in the case you needed to run from the Grimm, Earth had the issue of the old kingdoms building impressive series of fortifications that required heavy siege engines to break. As cannons moved from breaking down castles to dealing with moving formations of men, artillery become more mobile, using various shells, and there were a multitude of designs of heavy guns, from direct fire cannons, long range indirect fire Howitzers, and plunging fire mortars. Even now artillery is going through several changes to suit the changing battlefield."

"So is bigger artillery better?" Winter asked. Jaune chuckled.

"Not really," Jaune said. "I mean, the Germans during the second World War made a 800mm railway cannon that weighed around 1350 tons and could lob a seven hundred kilogram shell up to 47-kilometers. But the thing required a minimum of 250 to set the gun up, not to mention the 2500 is took to lay down the tracks to make the thing mobile. And the destruction it could unleash with its shells could be replicated or bettered by bombers of the time. No, the big three of artillery is firepower, mobility, and range. In fact, of the major powers, the Chinese Nuke cannons are the biggest by caliber and powe-wait, I forgot about the Pandora Cannon the ECA has." Winter was surprised by Jaune's bitter tone at the end.

"What's the Pandora Cannon, and why are you seemingly disgusted with it?" Winter asked. Jaune leaned back in his chair.

"The Pandora Cannon is the center piece of the ECA's Pandora Protocol. To explain, I must ask, does Remnant have anything close to unconditional warfare?"

"Um, what do you mean?" winter asked. Jaune shook his head.

"From your response that would-be no. Unconditional Warfare is just that; a war with no limitations, no restrictions, no conditions. On Earth the term used was 'No Quarter', and in essence it meant that the nation wouldn't take care of any prisoners of war it captured, it would use weapons normally banned by war conventions, and in general showing no mercy to their enemy."

"The Pandora Protocol is focused on that idea, only in a way worse. It's the ace in the hole, the trump card, the line in the sand for the ECA's higher ups. I only know of it because of my fa-adopted father's vehemence against it and he wanted to warn me about it. In essence, in the event the defeat is inevitable for the ECA, as was looking the case when I was fighting against the Russians in the Third World War, the Pandora Protocol would lift all the bans on restricted weapons that the ECA had agreed to."

"The tear-gas bomb strikes that would immobilize our enemies would be replaced with nerve gas to outright kill them and anyone exposed to the gas, our ground penetrating bombs would be replaced with neutron bombs, or salted nuclear weapons which unleash untold lethal levels of radiation in addition to the explosion they cause, and the Pandora cannon would be fielded."

"The Pandora cannon is a massive 495mm railgun able to launch 'enhanced radiation' warheads up to one hundred kilometers and destroy everything in the immediate blast zone. It then leaves behind a field of radiation that can penetrate the armor of even the heaviest tanks, killing men in a manner so gruesome that if I was in their shoes, I would take my pistol and blow my god damn brains out before succumbing to the radiation."

"My god, did the Protocol ever go into effect?" Winter asked horrified.

"I hope to hell not, but by 2047, the ECA was pushed back to France. I don't know how much longer we could've held out without allies, and I don't know how long it would be before our Prime Minister decided enough was enough. I ended up here before it went into effect, so I pray it was never implemented, because if Russia's nuclear arsenal was given to General Alexsandr, he would've glassed Europe without a second thought."

"What?!" Winter shouted. "This Alexsandr, he would've used these nukes to 'glass' Europe? You mean these nukes…"

"Nukes are powered by either atomic fission or atomic fusion, and can reach temperatures and pressures that can seemingly 'glass' the Earth, and yes, General Alexsandr is a monster in the guise of a human, seeing people as mere test subjects to his shock divisions and his experimental weapons."

Winter looked at him numbly, trying to process someone so vile that the thought of destroying thousands to millions of lives wouldn't even weigh on their consciousness. She couldn't, and so prayed that such a person would never show up on Remnant.

"Anyway, I believe we've talked for a bit, but it is getting late and my pursuit of knowledge has left me wishing to rest so I can think more clearly about the situation," Jaune said. "So I'm going to retire for the evening Specialist Schn-"

"Just call me Winter," Winter said. "I understand in public being called Specialist, but in private I rather be referred to my name."

"Then don't call me Mr. Arc, call me Jaune," Jaune said. "But regardless of the nomenclature we wish to go by, I should retire, as I expect the General to want to speak to me more in depth tomorrow." Winter nodded.

"Very well then Jaune, I'll hopefully see you in the morning," Winter said, before she left his room. Jaune sighed. The thought of the war he had been fighting in only to be removed from it was beginning to plague his mind. He prayed that whatever it was that took his and his emergency HQ wouldn't bring any other horrors to Remnant and that the war in Europe would come to a end.

* * *

 _Outpost Charlie, Vacuo_

* * *

"Damn it's so hot out here," complained Corporal Andrews of Vacuo's Rangers. Unlike their Atlesian counterparts, Vacuo didn't rely on a large army of robotic knights and shadowing air-cruisers to keep their lands safe, but rather small teams of rangers who were trained to survive in harsh deserts the surround Vacuo and report the positions of any Grimm, and if need be take them out with long range sniper rifles.

"Shut up Andrews; you're a ranger, act like one!" snapped Captain Kelly. "Anyway, we have a job to do, apparently another Bullhead went missing near here, and it will be our job to find them if possible." That caused the rangers in the small pillbox to listen.

"What could've taken out a Bullhead out here?" questioned Sergeant Smithers. "The only thing out here are deathworms, King Taijitus, and Creeps, and none of them can take out a Bullhead."

"I said it went missing, not taken out; perhaps they ran out of fuel and their radio is busted," postulated Captain Kelly. "Now come on, get to the Warthogs!" The rangers quickly grabbed their gear and got in their 4x4 warthogs that were modified for desert environments. They quickly rolled out, and for hours they scoured the desert, looking for any sign of the Bullhead.

It was when Captain Kelly was about to abort the search when he got a frantic radio message from his Sergeant.

"Captain, we're under fire!" reported Sergeant Smithers. "We can't see whose firing, but Corporal - and Private Bell - and slowly - out, we need-" Captain tried to adjust his radio, but the interference kept getting worse until nothing was forthcoming. He then tried to raise the others, only to get the same interference.

"Damn it!" Captain Kelly shouted, throwing his radio down. "Why the hell do they give us piece of shit equipment!? Why if I-" Kelly was interrupted as his driver Corporal Baker's brains splattered across his face. Kelly immediately ducked out of the Warthog as another round impacted the front windshield. Kelly heard his gunner Private Deckard open fire with the chain gun at a sand dune, only for a round to blow out his brains, which was followed by the echo of the gunshot.

Kelly rolled underneath the Warthog, hoping it might provide a level of protection against the snipers. However, as he lay there, Kelly pondered who else would be out here. The White Fang perhaps, but as far as he knew they operated out of Vale, not Vacuo. Then there were bandits, but they tended to stay near the popular caravan routes, not some practically unplottable desert.

He was pulled out of his musing when he heard a truck approaching him, followed by the opening of doors. Kelly was about to pull out his pistol when he heard the ratcheting of a weighty bolt of a heavy machine gun and the clicking of several safeties.

"Throw away your weapons and come on out Ranger, and you have my guarantee you won't be killed. Resist however, you and your men we have captured will be killed," a deep voice demanded. Kelly froze; his training never covered what the fuck to do in this kind of situation! He was meant to kill Grimm, not people!

"You've have ten seconds to obey before I decapitate the first man," the voice said. Kelly gritted his teeth but decided to obey the man's order; he wasn't going to let his men die due to his stubbornness, to hell with being labeled a traitor. He threw away his pistol and his rifle, before crawling out from underneath the Warthog.

In front of him was a group of men with several belt-fed machine guns, a few with machetes, and two with a six-round revolving grenade launcher, with a truck that was modified with a hardened grill, steel mesh over the window, and a heavy machine gun on a stand that cleared the cabin of the truck. The leader, a heavily black skinned and incredibly fit man wearing a red beret and black sunglasses smirked as he pulled out some zip chords.

"I'm so glad you were so cooperative, the other rangers were so dammed stubborn that we killed them all," the man. Kelly recoiled in disgust at the man's casual manners to the execution of his men.

"What the hell do you want?!" Kelly asked. "Why the hell did you kill all of my men?!" The leader chuckled.

"Hehe, I don't know," the leader said. "I'm here for the coin. My employers however want you for reason I don't know, but he offered us these fine weapons, which will make our jobs so much easier in the future." Kelly felt a bloom of disgust as he realized that these men were mercenaries, Remnant's dirty little secret, as they had no qualms about doing things that would haunt men till the end of their days.

The leader grinned, before leveling a massive revolver to Kelly's head.

"Now, be a cooperative prisoner and tie yourself up with these zip chords, I do want to be paid for tonight's hunts," the leader said. Kelly did as the leader said, and before long he was in the bed of the truck with one of the mercs point a gun at him. He wondered where the hell he was going to end up, and who would want one of Vacuo's rangers.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Another chapter, and this is it for the day 1 chapter upload. So we get to see jaune's opinion on Remnant's military, in particular Atlas's, and it's not good. To explain why, let me explain.**

 **Drones are useful for a multitude of jobs. Want to sneakily shove a missile into a terrorist's truck without risking a pilot? Use a UAV equipped with ATGM and blow them up to kingdom come. Want to observe the enemy for hours without having to risk a recon team or waste resources on fuel the man power stakeout? Use drones to observe them, then you're only concern is fuel, and well, drones like the US's predator are pretty fucking fuel efficient all things considered.**

 **But the knights-series that Remnant employs are fucking garbage! Seriously, the Knights-130 that appear in the Black trailer are dismembered by Blake and Adam like they were fucking bowling ball pins! And the knights-200 in volume 2 and 3 are able to be hacked like everything else is by a single computer virus, are you kidding me?! Does Remnant not know of something call compartmentalize programming?**

 **Then we have the soldiers of Atlas, which Cinder is able to defeat like they were novice when she infiltrated the CCT Tower, which by the way, if it was closed off for the night, why didn't the soldiers, oh I don't know, turn off the only elevator to the top?! The soldiers of Atlas are pathetic excuse, and they are considered the best in Remnant? Oh, you can bet your ass I was going to tear into them.**

 **Plus, we see nothing as far as armor is concerned; and no, the Paladin doesn't count for if Yang can literally shatter one with a punch (granted it was buffed with her semblance but still), it isn't armor! So they only rely on crappy drones, shitty soldiers, and a fleet of air-cruisers, which btw, Neo was able to hijack so Roman can destroy the other cruisers. This is simply inexcusable, so of course Jaune, having been in an actual military that faced off against human opponents would have huge issue with Atlas's military.**

 **So Jaune's role will be reforming Atlas's military into something a bit more capable. How; by structuring it to resemble the ECA's military, which is perfect for Remnant as its focus is on hard, sturdy defenses and blowing up threats well before they get within range of the defenses. But since he lead a Panzer-Jager division, do expect him to supplement the bread and butter of the ECA's bunkers and artillery with tanks and tank destroyers for Atlas.**

 **Also, why has no one asked about nuclear weapons to Jaune despite him mentioning how one destroyed Hamburg in Chapter 2? Well, that is simple; they don't know it's a big deal, until Jaune informed Winter of the Pandora Protocol. Plus, its not like you can build the facilities needed to begin nuclear research and building the bombs when you are surrounded by things that are trying to kill you, so don't expect nukes on Remnant any time soon.**

 **Now, somethings about ROTR that you might want to know about are the units. I could do a little bit at the end where I talk about the tech and history of weapon systems, important people, etc that appear in ROTR so you guys can know without having to go through 5 forum pages of dozens of developer dairies to get the story, but only if you guys want me to, so leave your opinion in the reviews or shoot me a PM expressing your opinion.**

 **Now, that short scene with Captain Kelly, trust me, it ties into ROTR, and it's not going to be pretty; the White Fang is going to have some serious competition for most dangerous terrorist organization on Remnant soon. It will be expanded on in the next couple of chapters, and just to let you know, Vacuo is about to be in some deep shit soon.**

 **Anyway, that is all for now, so please read, review, follow, and favorite this story, leave your opinion on the 'ROTR technical details', and I'll see you guys next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4: Setting up for Reforms and the Wolfsrudel_**

* * *

 _Present Time, Jaune's Room, Atlas_

* * *

It was the next day, with General Ironwood and Winter Schnee outside the room of Jaune Arc. James knocked twice, before they heard a reply.

"Come on in," Jaune replied. The two entered, and Winter and James couldn't hold back the shock at the transformation the room went under. Where the walls and desk were pristine yesterday, this morning they were littered-actually no, they were covered in papers. Littering would indicate that the papers had no order and that it was a mess for no purpose. Instead, they could quite clearly see that the papers were filled with sketches of vehicles that neither one of them knew, architectural details of defenses, or quick expositions on things that needed attending to.

"Please forgive the mess, but last night I couldn't sleep so I tried to write down all I could from memory about the ECA's military tactics, and with the help of a couple field manuals hidden in my prosthetic draw out the various vehicles that I worked with in the field," Jaune said. "Now, how can I help you General?"

James grabbed one of the sketches. On it was a massive vehicle that rode on a wide pair of tracks. The front was sloped back at a degree, with two massive casemate cannons jutting out offset from the center left and right. James tried to figure out the purpose of such a vehicle before giving up and asking Jaune.

"What is this vehicle, and what was it supposed to do?"

"That there is the Jagdmammut," Jaune began. "Based on the scrapped VT-tank destroyer, the Jagdmammut was pushed into service when emerging technologies started to render the man portable anti-tank systems that most of Europe had converted to nearly obsolete. It is armed with two 140mm smooth bore cannons that could use the Penetrator shells, which have the tendency to punch through one tank and into another. They were the main element of my division, with a brigade of these Jagdmammuts under my command."

"I see," James said, wondering what in the hell one would need an entire brigade of these tank destroyers. "Anyway, I came down after talking with Specialist Schnee about what you two had talked about, I've decided to see if your expertise could be used for the betterment of Remnant. However, we have some obstacles to giving you a position of command."

"Let me guess, my name would bring some issues as how would you explain a 15-year old kid being suddenly 34?" Jaune asked. James nodded.

"Yes, that would be the biggest issue. The next issue would be getting Atlas's council to listen to any of the recommendations you have," James pointed out. "They are firmly in the pocket of Jacques Schnee of the Schnee Dust Corporation, and since none of your weapons use dust but are seemingly better at first glance to what we use, it would be a problem."

"Ah, the joys of pocketed politicians; always willingly to throw away good equipment and technologies if it means more money in their pocket," Jaune bitterly said. "I take it that this Jacques Schnee would hate if I began to offer a bunch of weapons that didn't use dust correct?"

"It is foreseeable that he would…'encourage' the Council to reject your proposals, and perhaps even have you removed from the military, assuming I could get you in that is," Ironwood explained. "However, I want to run tests on the weapons and ammunitions that was recovered from your unit's position; if the costs of these weapons are cheaper than whatever the SDC and their affiliated companies are offering and they perform better, then I could use my weight as Atlas's primary General to sway the Council to listen to what I've to say."

"Alright, fine, do what you think it will take to get the council to listen to you, but what do I do in the meantime?" Jaune inquired. "I've been an Oberst-ahem, a Colonel that has seen and fought in war since I was fifteen, and so sitting around with a thumb up my ass isn't sitting with me well."

"General if I may offer a temporary solution?" Winter asked. James nodded, letting Winter continue. "Jaune, while making getting you to command a unit in Atlas might be impossible at this time, there are a few private contractors that work closely with the Atlesian Military directly, often taking high risk jobs that the military high command would deem too risky for the average soldier, too large for one huntsman, or too low paying for a team of huntsmen. The Council isn't above providing the funding to start up one of these corporations in return for services rendered, generally taking 50% of the profit to be had from high paying jobs to 75% on moderate to low paying ones for a set period."

"In addition, these corporations wouldn't be limited by what the council or their backers want, so long as the jobs get done and they get their cut. This would allow you to work around Jacques Schnee's opinions and use the equipment and tactics you see fit."

Jaune felt a bitter taste enter his mouth; there were very few good PMCs back on Earth, and on more than one occasion had to deal with those that were being paid by the GLA to undermine the ECA's efforts in North Africa. He knew of some volunteer fighting groups, such as the French Foreign Legion, but they were under government oversight and weren't 3rd parties that could be paid to protect a VIP one day and the next paid to kill them. However, he could see the purposes on having his own group led by him, organized by him, and trained to his standards.

"Has it been possible for these contractors to be absorbed into the Atlesian military after considerable services?" Jaune asked. "I rather not have the reputation as a mercenary commander hanging over my head for the rest of my foreseeable life."

"Yes, it's possible, but only when those contractors have proven themselves so successful as their goals and missions that the risks are outweighed by the gains," James confirmed. "Although how would you begin your company?" Jaune smirked.

"Why, every commander needs a headquarters, and I shall see to it that my base becomes the standard for Remnant," Jaune replied, grabbing his blueprints. "So, General, how soon can I get started?" James smiled; glad that Jaune wasn't one for sitting on his ass all day.

"Today once I convince the Council to back your efforts up," General Ironwoods stated. "In the meantime, Specialist Schnee will be working with you to get your base started; due to her connections, she can find those looking to serve as a private contractor, connect you to arms manufacturers, and find a suitable site for your base to be built without the eyes of the media getting into your business."

Jaune nodded, and soon the trio separated, with James heading to the council, and Jaune and Winter heading to a nearby intel server room to get started. As they walked, Winter struck up a new conversation with Jaune.

"So, Jaune, if you don't mind asking, what happened after…" Winter paused, not sure how to continue onto the sensitive subject of Jaune's family demise and the aftermath, however Jaune had noticed where the conversation was going.

"You needn't feel the need to beat around the bush when it comes to my past," Jaune said. "But what happened after my family's death wasn't simple."

"As you recalled, I was knocked up by falling debris from the bomb truck's explosion, leaving me in the middle of a warzone. Alas, I was found by a group of German resistance fighters that were taking the fight to the GLA. I was taken to a nearby apartment that was being used as a makeshift bunker." He sighed, his time in the Wolfsrudel coming back to him.

* * *

 _January 2028, Outskirts of Berlin, Germany_

* * *

"Er wacht auf!" shouted a man, just as Jaune's eyes began to flutter. His throat felt like it had been coated in ash, his face felt raw, his body ached, and Jaune could feel the stinging of several cuts and bruises on his arms and face. Jaune couldn't make much out with his eyes, but his other senses kicked in. He felt like he was on some hard fabric item with two metal poles on either side of him, and he could hear the coughing, moaning, crying, and weeping voices of several dozen people around him.

"Wie geht es ihm?" asked another man.

"Ja, er hat kleinere Kratzer und Schnitte, aber er sollte gut sein," the first man replied.

"Gut, dann bringen Sie ihn zu unserem Führer, damit er diese Rolle des Mannes entscheiden kann," the second man replied.

Jaune then felt a man grab him by the shoulders, raising him up. Jaune saw the older man's weary face and dulled blue eyes looking at him.

"Sohn, verstehst du mich?" asked the old man. Jaune shook his head, and then saying no, before realizing how stupid it was to speak in a foreign tongue, as how likely would it be they would understand him? This however caused the old man to shake his head.

"A foreigner caught up in our war, shit," the old man said in Jaune's tongue. "Well, you look like your fifteen, where's your family?" Jaune paused, before remembering the explosion and the faces of his family.

"Th-they're dead," Jaune said. "They died not too far where I was in that ditch, in an alleyway. That explosion, it-it-my father, my mother, all of my sisters, they're all dead." The old man placed wrapped Jaune in a hug.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but I need you to follow this man here-" the old man pointed to a younger man, wearing a camo jacket "-and listen to what the lad in charge has to say." The old man was cut off a whistling noise that preceded an explosion, shaking the building they were in. "Scheisse, there's no time, the GLA are probably already striking at us! Follow that man, go!"

Jaune got up and quickly followed the young man down the various hallways, surprised by what he was seeing around him. Rooms were being used as make shift shelters, medical centers, armories, and kitchens. Men scrambled down the hallways with weapons, mothers were herding the children away from the windows as the crack of gunfire were heard outside. Jaune couldn't understand this chaos, wondering what the hell he was dropped into.

The man led Jaune into a room that was your typical command room, if the maps, soldiers, and radio equipment were a given. But Jaune realized that all of the 'soldiers' weren't much older than him, most looking to be seventeen or eighteen, with some being in their young twenties. The camo jacketed man began talking to a young man with short light brown hair, who had a shotgun strapped to his back. The two talked briefly, before the young man pointed at Jaune.

"Young man, I'm sorry to hear about your loss, but right now I need everyone who can hold a rifle to fight," the young man said. He quickly pointed at and motioned for a man next to a box to grab a weapon and handed it off to Jaune. Jaune accepted the large weapon, a large tube with a scope and a massive warhead. The man also handed him a couple of warheads.

"You will follow Hans here to the northern gate, where the GLA are attacking. You will use that weapon to pop enemy tanks and anything else Hans here tell you to shot at," the young man said. "I know you don't speak German, but I trust you can follow orders yes?" Jaune nodded. "Good, then follow Hans and his orders."

"Right then Jaune, follow me to the roof!" Hans barked out. Jaune quickly (well quickly whilst carrying a massive anti-tank weapon) followed Hans up five flights of stairs. His legs began to burn from the build-up of lactic acid, and his lungs felt ready to burst, but he couldn't stop. Hans led Jaune to the edge of the roof, dragging the blonde down. Jaune was about to ask why when he heard a bullet whiz above him.

"Alright Jaune, here's the deal; I will find targets, and when I point them out, you destroy them, alright?" Hans said. Jaune mutedly nodded. "Good, now when you line the shot up, don't take too long; the GLA have snipers and they will try and kill you."

Jaune didn't really know what a sniper was, but from Hans's tone it wasn't something he wanted to deal with. However, he watched Hans peak over the low lying wall, ducking back done as he motioned Jaune to come over. Jaune crawled over quickly despite the heavy anti-tank weapon, and Hans pointed over the wall. Jaune peaked over and was puzzled by what he saw; a largish metal vehicle with tracks and a ramshackle bar grill in the front with a turret housing a large gun being escorted by several soldiers carrying those banana clipped rifles. He ducked back down, with Hans smirking at him.

"You saw that tank, right?"

"You mean that metal thing with tracks and a turret, yeah," Jaune said.

"That Jaune is the GLA's Scorpion tank; apparently, it's based on some Italian medium tank from the second World War, but that doesn't matter. What does matter however it that unless you have another tank, plane, or someone with a anti-tank weapon, like you got, those things will dominate the battlefield. You job Jaune is to knock it out!"

"With this thing?" Jaune asked in doubt, pointing at the weapon he was given. "How is it going to knock it out?!"

"Trust me Jaune, that Panzerfaust 3 you got will punch through that like it was made of paper!" Hans reassured Jaune.

"Alright, anything I should know about this weapon?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, first shoulder it-good, now aim through the scope once you have the tank in sight, and when you're ready pull the trigger," Hans said. "It'll kick a bit, but make sure the tank is in your sight before you fire, its unguided and so you need to make sure your shot is lined up."

Jaune nodded, peaking over the wall again, quickly seeing the Scorpion tank. It was firing a missile at the base of the building he was on, showering the defenders with molten steel fragments. Jaune peered through the scope, getting a good look at the tank, before seeing a man pop out the turret and staring right at him. Jaune froze, realizing he was about to fire and kill the men inside that tank.

However, Jaune wasn't given much time to reflect on this as the cannon traversed upwards, aiming right at him. He realized he would probably have nightmares about this, but it was kill or be killed. He squeezed the trigger, feeling the warhead rocket out of the launcher and screamed towards the tank. Moments later, the warhead connected, and exploded.

Jaune, having grown up on a steady diet of action films, expected a simple fireball and then the vehicle would be disabled. Instead he got real life, where the warhead penertrated and ignited the fuel and ammo. The explosion created a large plume of black smoke and sent shrapnel out everywhere, eviscerating the men standing next to the tank. The fuel also burned hot and bright, engulfing the tank's crewmen in fire. They climbed out of the tank, screaming while rolling on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire.

Jaune slumped down behind the wall, his stomach churning at horrible it was watching that tank explode. In the films the heroes always seemed relieved at taking out the baddies, but here, he felt nothing but disgust and self-hatred at how easy it was to kill those men. Hans gripped his shoulder.

"I know what it's like taking your first kill, but we have more work to do, as the GLA will be sending more tanks this way," Hans said quietly. Jaune merely nodded, following Hans around on that roof for the rest of the day, the memories of what he did that day staying with him.

* * *

 _Present Time, Jaune's Room, Atlas_

* * *

"I see," Winter said, wondering just how bad it must've been for his 15-year old self to come to terms with having blood on his hand. "So how…I don't know how to ask this, but how-"

"How many tanks and vehicles did I take out on that day?" Jaune asked. Winter nodded. "Well, the first day I took out only two Scorpion tanks and a technical, but the 'siege' lasted two weeks."

"My god, but you said that the apartment was just filled with civilians and resistance members!" Winter said. "Why would they fight that hard over it?"

"Because the GLA knows no mercy, they only know what their goals are," Jaune rebutted. "That and they knew the Chinese were coming to relieve the pressure put on the European nations. They had to do as much damage as quickly as possible before the Chinese arrived and cleaned Europe of them." He paused, thinking about how many lives he took during that siege.

"In total, I took out fifteen Scorpion tanks, five technical trucks, a bomb truck, and finally a Marauder tank, claiming somewhere an estimated seventy five lives, and that is only with the crew of the vehicles, not taking into account all the rebel soldiers that were standing next to them when they exploded," Jaune stated.

"Does it weigh on your mind at nights?" Winter inquired, wanting to know if she would be needing some help if she had to kill someone. Jaune shook his head.

"It did when I was in the middle of the siege, but afterwards, I was shown the GLA's true depths and afterwards, I beg forgiveness not for killing them, but for not killing more of them," Jaune admitted. "And before you start by saying how could I be so cold, I will explain; the GLA has no issue with using WMDs to kill civilians, using captured prisoners as slaves, both labor and sex slaves, killing off anyone who disagreed with them, and above all using child soldiers."

"But weren't you a soldier for the Wolfsrudel?" Winter asked. Jaune shook his head again.

"No, I was a young adult, the GLA used kids barely six or seven years old as soldiers," Jaune countered. "Those were the only lives in the GLA I truly despise myself for killing, as they were too young to make their own decision and were forced into the position."

Winter could hear the sorrow in Jaune's voice, how it was like he was walking around with chains binding him.

"I won't say I understand, but I'm sorry about what you've had to do for the purposes of peace," Winter said.

"I thank you for the sentiment," Jaune said. "But we need to settle the issue with my HQ, right? Have you been able to find anyplace suitable for the purpose?"

"I have," Winter said. "There is a section of land that is relatively clear of environmental obstacles, low level of Grimm, and is I think large enough for a base."

"How big are we talking?" Jaune inquired.

"Roughly five hundred square kilometers," Winter said. Jaune mulled it over.

"A bit bigger than Fort Campbell in the US, and given how I intend to build the base up…yes that will do," Jaune replied. "Any ideas where I am going to find men to recruit and any suggestions for men to train them? And what about contractors; kind of hard to have a base without buildings."

"Well the men you are going to have to find on your own, but I can get you in touch with someone who is quite skilled in Public Relations," Winter said. "As for training, you can come up with the basics of the training you want, hand them over to the general, and he can find you suitable men to train your recruits with. As for contractors, well, if you got plans for the buildings…"

"Have them right here," Jaune said, handing Winter the plans for his various buildings.

Winter looked over the ones labeled defenses and was quite surprised by their simple design. The first was a simple Guard tower, but with a machine gun that was likely one Jaune was familiar with on a 360 degree swivel and able to fire damn nearly vertically down from its position. The next was a series of three crisscrossing steel beams that lay in front of a wall of sandbags. Following that was a pit with two massive autocannons that were aimed towards the sky with a RADAR unit in the third pit. Finally was a small reinforced sandbag structure with room for three inside.

"Except for the tower, why are these so low to the ground?" Winter inquired.

"Target profile; the smaller you are, the harder you are to hit. Also these kinds of structure are pretty hardy against anything short of bombers and artillery; can't even begin to tell you how much safer it is to take shelter from an artillery barrage inside a bunker than it is outside of it."

"And what about this one with the two autocannons?"

"That is a Skyshield battery, basically two independent anti-aircraft cannon that is control by that RADAR unit; those things can slaughter helicopters before they do too much damage to a defensive line, and against fast movers they act as a deterrent," Jaune answered.

"Sounds like they could be a threat to flying Grimm," Winter said and Jaune nodded.

"I sufficiently doubt any Grimm can withstand a withering barrage of 35mm AA shells," Jaune said. Winter nodded.

"Well, the defenses look like something a military engineering corp could help set up, and as for the actual structures," she paused, looking at how heavily armored and defended the main HQ building was. "I know of a couple of companies that could prefabricate the structure and then it be a matter of rapid assembly. But I notice a lack of walls; is there a reason for that?"

"I assume that you have something like a Hesco Bastian, where a simple steel grid with hardened fabric lining the interior is then filled with sand or dirt, depending on the soil composition," Jaune said. He saw Winter's dumbfounded look and sighed. "Let me guess, no one thought to make something like that?"

"Eheh, yeah," Winter said. "That seems too simple; does it work?" Jaune nodded.

"Yeah, one that is about six feet tall, five feet deep, and running thirty-three feet can stop bomb trucks from breaching into the interior," Jaune replied. "Of course because of the Grimm I would want them a bit taller and anchored down into the ground with steel supports, but same end goal; a engineering team with a bucket loader can create the perimeter in a day, maybe two for a double stack."

"I see, well I think if you sold that as a patent you could make a decent amount of money," Winter said. Jaune nodded.

"Indeed I would, but I don't know the means on how to patent such designs," Jaune admitted. Winter shook her head.

"Again, I can help with that."

"Thanks Winter," Jaune said. Winter smiled for a moment before sighing.

"Well your welcome, but we have more work ahead of us," Winter said.

"I agree, let's crack on shall we?" Jaune said.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I am quite surprised by how many of you are enjoying this story so far. In 24 days I have had 3 reviews, 643 views, 15 favorites, and 14 followers. So thank you guys, and in response I shall respond to your reviews!**

 **-Shashenka: Thank you for your response and I agree. Remnant is stuck so to speak and its that lazy view that 'hunters are the best' that bit them in the ass. Sure they are good, but as I say, what good is individuality of a few hunters when an army of dedicated soldiers is there to defend the world? Individuals don't win wars, armies do.**

 **-Teehpootism: Jaune isn't going to be able to affect the entire Atlesian Army, but he is going to leave a defining mark, one that Salem and her supporters are going to feel.**

 **-DuManHeiu: Glad you are enjoying this story, so enjoy this chapter! And not many stories tackle the problems I've addressed as it's a prime example of wish fulfilment in story; the characters are always right, and you can live through them as they tackle seemingly insurmountable obstacles, on their own. I call bullshit on this and I'm bringing Remnant to reality (or as real as you can with CnC: ROTR) by showing how one would really need to tackle the problems Remnant is facing. And fuck RWBY's deus ex machina!**

 **As for things I want to personally address, do note that these flashbacks won't be in every chapter; at most every other, but most likely every so often. They will cover Jaune's past, and appear when context is needed, so pay attention to those flashbacks from here on out!**

 **In addition, Jaune's defenses are based on those that the ECA has in-game. The ECA is the turtler's preferred faction in ROTR, as you can often build your defenses so thick that the enemy struggles to breakthrough if he doesn't have access to things like Nuke Cannons or strong bombers. They trade mobility and price for strong defenses and long range combat, which Jaune will be showing Atlas how to hold ground.**

 **About the size of land Jaune's base is going to be set up on; 500 square kilometers is indeed slightly larger than fort Campbell in the US, but it is nowhere near the largest bases in the US; Fort Hood roughly 870 square kilometers, twice the size of Fort Campbell.**

 **Final note before I go, I really want to know; do you guys want a section at the end of each chapter detailing the various weapons, generals, and factions that appear in ROTR, so that even if you don't play it you guys have some idea of what I'm talking about? Please leave a response in your reviews.**

 **That's all for now, until next time guys, please read, review, follow, and favorite this story, and I'll catch you guys next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: The PR Specialist and Into the Heart of Darkness**_

* * *

Present Time, Main Foray, Atlas Huntsmen Academy

* * *

"The PR personnel I told you about should be here soon," Winter told Jaune, who merely nodded. It had been a few days since Jaune began laying the ground work for his PMC and future military division.

First, he managed to find a construction company that, while costing a fortune to hire, would work in the hostile Grimm lands of low to medium Grimm density. After getting the patent for the Hesco Bastian, he gave the plans to the company and they were making headway setting up the perimeter around the base. Miles of barbed wire, tank traps, and fences were also being added so that the manpower needed to defend the base wasn't horrendously high. They were also building the main HQ/command center, a few barracks, and the defenses that Jaune wanted up and running. The only one delayed was the Skyshield battery, due to the need to having to contract a company to build the 35mm autocannons.

Second, while not enough for what Jaune had in mind, Ironwood had got Jaune in contact with several of Atlas's more veteran instructors, those that shared Jaune's belief that the answer shouldn't be coming from Huntsmen. Roughly twenty-five had been convinced to join Jaune's effort, as they were sold when Jaune, despite being a Colonel (which for Remnant was generally an officer that led behind everyone else) managed to subdue three of the instructors at once. That and they also got to test the various infantry equipment, which blew them away.

Jaune was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of a Bullhead outside the Foray. He looked up and saw Winter staring at the entrance as the people walked in. Most were family and friends going to see their loves ones that were attending the Academy, some were support personnel bringing in food, electronics, and various other things the Academy need to run in top form, and some were those looking to join the Academy and getting the necessary paperwork.

However, one person was heading their way, and Jaune had to blink. White hair, yellow eyes, pale complexion, a little below average height for a woman, wearing a black suit with a purple collar. Except for the suit, Jaune had a depressing amount of déjà vu of one person that he had grown to love, only for their existence to be violently removed from him. Simply replace the black suit with a navy blue one and Jaune wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. He sighed as the woman made her way towards them.

"Why must she look so much like you Eve?" Jaune muttered underneath his breath.

* * *

 _This better not be a waste of my time_ , Lisa Lavender of the Vale News Network thought to herself. Normally, one would feel honored at the chance to discuss something with a Schnee, but years in the media had made Lisa practically indifferent to people of 'power'. Generals, Huntsmen, Councilors, it made no damned difference to her. She couldn't be swayed with bribes, favors, or threats. So her coming down to meet with Winter Schnee was similar to how a store clerk would meet the casual customer; putting on a false face of cheer while waiting to see if they would try and screw her over.

As she walked in, she saw Winter Schnee, in her usual white and grayish-blue outfit, her saber on her hip, sitting at a table with a blonde hair man in a grey uniform and wearing a black beret. On his hip was both a pistol and a similar sized weapon but with a longer magazine and a bulkier build; _perhaps an SMG_ , Lisa thought. He appeared to be in his mid-30s and well built in her mind. She saw the man's eyes widen for a moment before blinking a couple of times, muttering something under his breath; did she remind him of someone?

"A pleasure to have you here Ms. Lavender," Winter said politely, while the man remained quiet.

"Likewise," Lisa said indifferently while taking a seat. "However, I was expected to head out to Vacuo and report on the disappearance of a bullhead of Vale college graduates. So please, do tell me why you contacted me." Winter Schnee was about to speak when the man interrupted her.

"Ms. Lavender was it?" the man said. "I do apologize for interfering with your reporting, but alas, I've a situation which requires a delicate touch." Lisa raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone would interrupt a Schnee so casually.

"Oh and your name is?" Lisa asked. The man smiled, though it wasn't like the Schnee's near condescending greeting; it felt more genuine.

"Jaune Wolfgang Maximillian von Kurten, although you can call me Jaune for the purposes of this discussion," Jaune said. Lisa nodded.

"Alright then Jaune, now what is it that you need?" Lisa asked.

"Simply put, I need a means to appeal to people who have been deluded into believing that the best way to protect Remnant is by joining the Huntsmen Academy or are thinking about joining Atlas's military and instead join the PMC that I'm going to be making," Jaune said. Lisa was about to speak before Jaune raised his hand.

"Now I understand any disdain you have for PMCs, hell I would have to admit that when I first heard the idea I was disgusted, but unfortunately the situation in Atlas is too rigid for someone trying to change the system to achieve from the inside," Jaune said. "Instead, with approval from General Ironwood, I would form a PMC before integrating it into the Atlesian military, bringing the changes that Atlas, and by extension all the other kingdoms, need."

"And what pray tell needs to change?" Lisa asked, tapping a finger on the table while leaning back in her chair.

"Simply put, Remnant as a whole puts too much faith in the Huntsmen and in Atlas's cases a over reliance on drone warfare," Jaune said. "The changes would be in weapons, tactics, infrastructure, and training. While I can find companies to manufacture the weapons, engineers to set up bases and teach others to build them, and train officers, it will be all for naught if there are no men to fill out the ranks so to speak."

Lisa paused, realizing that Jaune wasn't trying to blow smoke up her ass or con her. However, she never saw anyone disagree with the idea of the need of the Huntsmen.

"Alright, tell me, what's wrong with the Huntsmen Association?" Lisa asked. "As far as I can tell, they are the forefront of the defenses of the kingdoms and-"

"Doesn't that strike you as wrong?" Jaune asked. Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me, in what rational line of thought was it wise to give a group of highly individualistic, very well-equipped, and relatively unorganized people the power to decide the fate of the kingdoms?" Jaune asked.

"Well, the Great War-"

"If you pull the argument that the disarmament treaties of the Great War and the Huntsmen filling the void left by the downsized military I will have to bash my skull in by the idiocy of Remnant," Jaune said. "Tell me, when was the last time there was a major excursion conducted by Huntsmen with the purpose of clearing out the Grimm and allowing a new settlement to be built?"

Lisa frowned, trying to rack her head for the answer. Everyone knew the disaster of Mount Glenn, but that was over a century and a half ago, well before the Great War. She continued to try and think, before speaking.

"Well, if I recall, there was the expansion into Hohe Eis about thirty years ago," Lisa said. "Surely huntsmen-"

"Actually all of the Huntsmen Academy declined," Winter interjected. "The only reason I know that was because it was an expansion that my grandfather pushed for due to the Dust deposits in the region, and in the end the SDC appealed to the Atlesian Council, who in turned ordered the army to exterminate the Grimm in the region."

"Exactly the point that pisses me off about the Huntsmen Association," Jaune said. "They are self-serving; they say they are for the protection of the Kingdoms, and yet when things become 'too risky' or 'likely to incur high casualties' they cower away and halt any progression by the Kingdoms."

"They also led to the horrible state the militaries are in; I was able to take on three 'veteran' instructors and defeat them, all of whom had their aura unlocked and having semblances, while I don't have my aura unlocked nor do I have a semblance. In addition, the lack of sufficient weapons to counter all threats, both human and Grimm alike, along with horrible fundamentals have led to the horrible situation that leave the people, the kingdoms, having to rely on Huntsmen to protect them."

Jaune sighed, leaning over the table and looking pointedly at Lisa.

"In fact, the militias that dot Remnant are so underequipped that it's been accepted as fact that villages will disappear! Tell me that doesn't disgust you!"

Lisa saw the fire in Jaune's eye and thought over the points he brought up. It was true that Huntsmen were put on a pedestal, held in regard as the best that humanity had to offer, and yet they only maintained the status quo. But she chalked it up to how numerous and ruthless the Grimm at, that their numbers are kept at such lows due to casualties they sustain. As though reading her mind, Jaune asked a question that would alter Lisa's opinion of Huntsmen forever.

"Let me ask you this, do you know how many huntsmen, on average, die in their line of duty every year?" Jaune asked. Lisa shook her head. Jaune shook his head.

"Typical, the huntsmen don't want to publicly reveal how many they lose because it would enrage everyone else at them," Jaune said bitterly. "Based on what I could fine with help from Ironwood and Ms. Schnee, every year and across all the kingdoms, an average of twenty-five huntsmen die fighting the Grimm, compared to the averages of thirty who die acting as 'supplements for law enforcements', ten who die in 'classified operations', and a further ten who die during off-duty. Compare this to the fact that every year, around 500 huntsmen are inducted. They are having a growth in their numbers, while villages outside the Kingdoms' walls are in a sharp population decline."

"In essence, the huntsmen are thriving, taking over the role of the military and law enforcement, and they have practically no oversight. The councilors don't try and reign them in because of fear of them not protecting the kingdoms in spite!" Jaune stated. "This is why I despise how the huntsmen are organized and ran! That isn't to say I hate huntsmen; there are those that truly intend to protect the everyday citizen, but most couldn't give a damn."

"Most join for the benefits; ensure retirement after only a decade-worth of service, account deniability with regards to most laws, and practically unlimited power to do what they want," Jaune said more calmly, but the bitterness remained. "I've brought this up with General Ironwood, and he agrees this must stop; the Huntsmen need to either be reined in, or the military needs to step up its own efforts. I have the knowledge to allow the army to tackle the problems that for years the Huntsmen were the only one able to handle, and I need your expertise with the public to do it."

Lisa took a deep breath, kind of shocked to see how dedicated Jaune was. He pointed out the flaws with the Huntsmen, ones that she didn't even know about, and he was asking her for support to plug this gap.

"So you want to remove the huntsmen from power?" Lisa inquired. Jaune shook his head.

"No, even if I disapprove of them, they are well versed in fighting Grimm. No, I want to remove their influence but making the military the force it needs to be," Jaune said. "However, with all the glory if you will going to the Huntsmen, the military has been in decline; its why the Atlesian Huntsmen Academy has been forced to directly tie into the military when General Ironwood came to be the Academy's headmaster. The military needs to be shown to be competent, and while I can maintain the momentum, I need the ball to start rolling, so I need recruits."

Lisa nodded. So, this was the end goal of her trip here; promote Jaune's PMC so it can begin gaining power and, for the lack of a better word, prestige, so once it integrates into the Atlesian Military, the things he has done will begin to spread. It was brilliant but relied on getting men to join first.

"Alright, so what do you need?" Lisa asked. Jaune pulled out a file.

"I need people to know about the PMC, know what it is about, know about its goal, without pissing too many influential people off and without driving people away, while also helping to convince several companies to support the 'war effort' if you will," Jaune bluntly stated.

"Very well, do you have any docu-" Lisa stopped when Jaune lifted a large briefcase, sliding it towards her. Peeking inside, Lisa gaped at the amount of paperwork was inside. Not many Council laws had this much paper involved. Yet she could tell it was detailed, with more defined goals, figures for resources and manpower, supply of food, water, and energy, and various other things.

"Okay, well this is going to be a nightmare to trawl through, but I think I can help out," Lisa said. "However, not to sound rude or anything, but what do I get out of this arrangement?" Jaune looked at Winter, who shrugged. He sighed before looking back at Lisa.

"What do you want?" Jaune asked. Lisa pondered for a moment; there was so much she could ask for. Money, exclusive access for post mission news reporting, insider knowledge for things about to go down. But really, she was curious about the man behind this shift; Jaune Wolfgang Maximillian von Kurten. So, she asked for something rather simple.

"Two things. First, I want to have exclusive interviewing rights with you and those associated with your PMC, and second I want a dinner with you, to understand who I am getting into business with," Lisa said confidently. She saw Jaune look momentarily uncomfortable before he nodded.

"Very well, I have nothing against either request, so what time for the dinner?" Lisa pulled out her scroll.

"Well, how about next week on Friday at six at the Alderhorst in down town Atlas?" Lisa saw Winter not as subtle as she though shaking her head to Jaune not to accept, but due to him not directly looking at Winter, he nodded.

"Alright then, although I hope you forgive me to coming to dinner in my uniform; I have a previous meeting with the Stahl Arms Corporation discussing a new standardized rifle for the PMC and eventually the Atlesian military," Jaune said, not noticing Winter Schnee pinching her nose.

"No problem," Lisa said, glad she is essentially having a free meal at the most expensive restaurant in Atlas while getting to know someone she suspected will be a major player in the Kingdoms' development.

"Anyway, I must go if I am to start on the Public Relations front," Lisa said. "A pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise," Jaune said, shaking her hand. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to talk to some instructors about the new standard for training the recruits." He walked off, leaving Lisa to smirk at Winter, who was glaring at her.

"Oh don't be that way," Lisa said. "It's to get to know each other over a nice dinner."

"It was a move on your part to gauge how much you could exploit him for," Winter argued. Lisa was about to counter with a rational argument before a more appealing one came to mind.

"Oh, is it because you are jealous that I got a dinner date with Jaune huh?" Lisa teased, and she revealed as Winter blushed at her statement. "Oh my, I didn't know the eldest Schnee was into older men."

Lisa quietly left Winter, who was red in the face due to simultaneously blushing, getting angered, and feeling outwitted. Lisa smirked to herself; she will be having so much fun in the foreseeable future.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the outskirts of Vacuo_

* * *

It had been a week since his capture, and Kelly was no closer to knowing where he was. They had constantly been on the move, first in that truck he spent at least three days and nights in, then he was forced onto what he thought was a bus as he could hear the grunting and crying of others in front, behind, and to his left for three more days and nights. Finally, they arrived in gods knows where only for, at least for him, to be thrown into some steel cage. All this time he was blindfolded, leaving his extremely disoriented and confused.

However, as Kelly recalled this, he heard approaching footsteps. Turning his head towards the source of the noise, Kelly tried to count the number of people based on the crunching of the dirt, but ultimately failed. He heard then heard the ratcheting of gun slides before he heard his cell door open.

Kelly blinked when his blindfold was finally removed, so unused during his week-long travel, that it took him a while. He saw the mercenary leader with that massive hand cannon with a few other mercenaries (with their belt fed machine guns), but then he saw a tall relatively pale man with dark hair flanked by two men that also had dark hair but were tanned, carrying assault rifles with banana shaped magazines.

"So good to see you Captain Kelly," the pale man said. Kelly blinked; how did the man know who he was?

"Um, ho-"

"How do I know you Captain?" the man rhetorically asked. "Well, let's just say that my series of informants and moles stretches all across Vacuo and its beginning to spread to the other kingdoms. So finding out the identity of Vacuo's rangers was no more difficult than making a simple phone call. Although I'd be more concerned with your predicament than how I know your name."

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked, slightly fearful of the man who began to grin.

"Well you see Captain Kelly, through these mercenaries I've managed to collect tons of people for various purposes," the man began to explain. "Men to do hard labor for the creation and maintenance of my bases, women to feed my soldiers, and children to raise into zealots, willingly to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause. But soldiers, ah, well let's just say that I haven't much purpose for rebellious spirits. But then you come in, without much of a fight and didn't once try to make an escape after your capture. So you tell me, are you loyal to the Council of Vacuo, or are you…open to new paths?"

Kelly felt a sweat drop slide down his neck. Something about this man scared him, but he couldn't place it.

"I wouldn't say I'm loyal to the Council but instead to Vacuo," Kelly said, prompting the man to wave him to continue. "I've thought that the Council couldn't care for the individual villages and cities, only caring for the big cities and their seats of power. So if the Council did something that I would view as evil, I wouldn't fight for them."

"I see," the man said before smiling, though to Kelly it was one like the Dark God probably had when he created the Grimm. "Then you wouldn't mind striking a blow against the Council, especially if it was to the benefit of your family would you?"

"W-what do you mean?!" Kelly said, slightly panicked. Was his family being held hostage by this man?

"Hey, hey, don't worry for your family, after all the family of the soldiers in the Global Liberation Army are supported, especially if soldier in question carried out a task of major importance," the man said. "But for those that seek to betray their brothers, well, let's just say the fate that would befall the traitor would also fall on the family of said traitor."

Kelly felt his throat clench in fear. Here was a man who clearly was a cold-blooded killer, but he had a means of reaching his family, forcing Kelly to dance to his tune.

"What do you need of me?" Kelly choked out, causing the man to smile.

"Well due to the GLA's recent efforts, we are getting closer to making our move, one that will see Vacuo freed from the Imperialists sympathizers that make up the Council and their Atlesian and Valen overlords," the man said. "However, we need to make a powerful first move, and that requires intelligence and men."

The man paused, pulling out a map, some paper, and a pen, before handing them to Kelly.

"Now, I want you to mark on this map where the other Ranger outposts and armories are, the radio frequencies used by them, and then finally you will have one final task, one that will ensure your family's safety from retaliation by the Council-loyalists. But that is to be discussed later; for now the intel will suffice."

Kelly wanted to refuse, but he knew of the ruthlessness of mercenaries, which terrified him, but he didn't know how far this man's GLA soldiers would go against his family. He took the pen, silently prayed for forgiveness, and began marking on the map the locations that the man wanted. He cursed himself for his cowardice, but what choice did he have; they were holding his family practically at gunpoint!

After marking all of the outposts and armories that he knew of and writing down known radio frequencies, Kelly looked up at the man, who smiled.

"I see, well we'll confirm that this information is correct, but in the meantime, these men-" the man pointed at his escorts, who pointed their rifles at Kelly "-will take you to training yard, where you will be trained by those that understand the meaning behind sacrifice and will give you the tools and knowledge to complete you final mission."

The man began to walk away before stopping.

"Oh, by the way, I nearly forgot, but there is someone who wants to see you!" the man said cheerfully. Kelly was yanked up off the floor and marched out of his cage for a few feet, before someone stepped out of the shadows. Kelly blanched as he saw his daughter of only fifteen years-old standing in a similar outfit, only made for a woman, as the men that were holding him up.

"Sarah, what's going on?!" Kelly shouted, alarmed to see his daughter near men that only a week ago killed his men. Sarah, who was tanned with auburn hair, snorted at her father's question.

"What does it look like father?" Sarah asked, forcing Kelly to wince at the venom in her voice. "I've joined the GLA."

"Why?!" Kelly was then punched by his own daughter.

"Because they are the only ones who give a damn about us poor folk, the ones that aren't rich or powerful enough to live in the big cities, the ones who must suffer underneath the foreign devils, the ones who are raped by assholes from other kingdoms and get off scot free because their fathers were able to bribe the jury!" Sarah yelled. "My rape went unpunished because that damned Valen boy's father paid off the jury, the police, and the judge to have my case swept under the rugs, so when I heard about the GLA, I joined up. To hell with the appeasers of the foreign kingdoms, our time has come to rise up and overthrow these shackles! To hell with those that would sell out their own countrymen to outsiders!"

Kelly paled as he recalled that horrible day he came home to see his daughter crying and clearly violated. Yet when nothing came of it, he thought it was because, like was said at the court hearing, 'there was no evidence to the identity of the perpetrator'. But seeing his daughter in front of him, enraged as she was, something had been covered up, and he felt so horrible as a father for not doing more, for simply 'letting the justice system do its job'.

Sarah walked off, leaving the man to watch her leave before turning his attention back to Kelly.

"Well, as you see, despite the harsh measures we have, we aren't completely monstrous," the man said. "Some, myself included, could be easily said to have no purpose but to wage war, but most in the GLA have some reason to join the cause. Don't worry Captain Kelly, you will have a chance to make up for your failures as a father to your daughter with your final mission."

The man walked off while Kelly was dragged to the training yard, smiling as his plans were coming full circle. Soon, Remnant would see the righteous fury of the GLA in force.

* * *

 _Password required_

 _Input Password_

 _Access Granted Commander_

 _Unit Dossier: GLA Rebels_

 _Description: The Rebels of the GLA are a mixed bag of various groups; some are religious zealots, other are political fundamentalists, others still soldiers for hire, and even some are in it for the sake of a war. However, regardless of their reasons to joining, the rebels are culminated and trained to accept the current path of their respective cell and fight for the GLA's cause._

 _Armed with assault rifles and Molotov cocktails, the GLA Rebels specialized in guerilla warfare and hit-rand-run operations. Using camouflage to get in close, the GLA Rebels hit hard and hit fast, burning out garrisons with their Molotovs and gunning down unsuspecting soldiers with their assault rifles. What they lack in staying power due to no body armor they make up for with surprise and zeal._

 _The goal of a GLA Rebel isn't to take on the enemy in fair fights and exchange fire over time; it is to close in, overwhelm the enemy with surprise, and get out before reinforcements arrive. As such, it isn't unusual for rebels to burn through several magazines from their assault rifles before slinking away, waiting for the next ambush. But if they can't run away, they can make use of the explosives they use to booby trap buildings in an act of martyrdom, taking the enemy out in an explosion._

 _Weapons: An assault rifle, typically a variant of the AK-47, a bundle of Molotov Cocktails, and several TNT charges for booby traps._

* * *

 **Author's Note: How was that for a technical section? If you have improvements for me tell me in a review or private message. But onto some reviews and points I wish to bring up.**

 **-Warmach1ne32: I thank you for the offer of beta reading and someone to bounce ideas off of, but at this time I have a clear end goal in mind. Although if I get stuck I might bounce ideas to prevent the dread writer's block via PMs.**

 **As to your question about other equipment from other nations, Jaune could conceivable, due to a event that will be shown later, know about US equipment. However, he knows the ECA's equipment, he knows how to utilize them, and so he will focus on what he really knows. Some of the US's equipment could be done, but not right now.**

 **-Luhar1997 andDuManHeiu: The First technical section has been added, expect more in the future, and give me your feedback for improvements.**

 **-Lisa Lavender's involvement: We see her right now as merely a partner that is aiding Jaune's efforts, but she will play a bigger role in the story. A damn shame she is underutilized both in canon and in fan-ficition, but it's understandable; news reporters aren't as exciting as huntsmen and villains. But as we will see, the power of media has the means to either bring down establishments or allow the ascension of those that wouldn't have a hope in hell's chance of getting to the top.**

 **-The GLA in Remnant: Buwahaha, fear the GLA Remnant, as they will show the White Fang how a true uprising is down. But unlike the White Fang, who are practically shouting it, the GLA under 'the man' are not going to seemingly take over Vacuo. Instead they will be under different names, supporting those whose views support the GLA, and instead rule Vacuo from the shadows. This is simple; they don't want to attract too much attention and lose the advantage of secrecy; or at least that's the plan, they don't know about a certain someone who will know what is really going on.**

 **And that's it for now, thank you so much for reading this, and as always, please read, review, follow, and favorite the story, and I'll catch you guys next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: A Dinner Chat and Martyrdom**_

* * *

 _Present Time, Alderhorst Restaurant, Atlas_

* * *

Jaune wipe away some stray dust that had gotten on his uniform's shoulder; his earlier visit to Stahl Arms had been extremely fruitful. The company, close to shutting down due to the SDC jacking dust prices up on its competitors, was open to suggestions and offers, and what Jaune offered gave them plenty of work in the future, while Jaune got to pretty much hand them blueprints of the very weapons he wanted them to manufacture.

Jaune submitted the technical specs of the MP57 PDW, the HKFN-22 assault rifle, the MG-3 light machine gun, the Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket launcher, and the Starstreak MANPADS, all of which made the CEO of Stahl Arms, Johan Stahl, very excited, especially when he learned that none of the weapons relied on dust. Johan promised Jaune that the first shipment of weapons would be ready by the end of the month. They had discussed heavier weapons that would require vehicles, but Johan had refused as they needed to see how the gunpowder and rocket fuel composition that Jaune gave them for the man portable weapons would fare first, before ramping up to larger weapons.

Jaune had understood, slightly annoyed that he would have to wait for things like Leopards and Gepards to begin rolling out of factory lines, but if he could get his basic infantry well trained and versed with the weapons he used in his time with the ECA, then he could easily begin outperforming most of the current militaries on Remnant.

But right now he had a dinner-date to keep…at one of the most expensive restaurants in Remnant. Yeah, he really shouldn't have agreed so quickly, but thankfully, do to his situation, General Ironwood had been…forgiving. Yes, as Ironwood had said 'its better than agreeing to give her a tour of the R&D of the Atlesian military'.

"Hello Jaune." Jaune turned to the voice and saw Lisa Lavender, this time wearing a black dress with dark purple accents.

"Good evening Lisa," Jaune said, offering his hand. Lisa accepted and the two walked up to the reception stand.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" the attendant inquired.

"Yes, we've dinner reservations under the name Maximillian," Jaune said. The attendant checked her log, nodding once she found the reservation.

"Ah yes, I see," the attendant said. "Right this way sir, madam." Jaune and Lisa quietly followed the attendant towards the far end of the restaurant towards a small private table in the back corner. Neither minded it, Lisa because it provided privacy and Jaune preferred it because he could keep threats away from one angle.

"A waiter will be with you in just a moment," the attendant informed them as he handed out the menus, before shuffling away.

"So Jaune, why was the reservation under Maximillian, I thought your last name was 'von Kuerten'?" Lisa asked as she began perusing the menu.

"Actually, 'von Kuerten' means 'from Kurten' which is a village that my foster father and I grew up in," Jaune said. Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"Foster father?" Jaune sighed; it was the story he, Winter, and Ironwood agreed to, basically the truth while omitting the fact he was an Arc and spent nineteen years on Earth before ending right back in Remnant.

"My family were killed in bandit raid, and I was subsequently adopted by Wolfgang-Maximillian von Kuerten," Jaune said. "He raised me to be a model soldier, to which I hold nothing but respect for him in doing."

By this time a waiter came over, interrupting their conversation.

"Hello, I'm your waiter for the evening, what do you want to drink?"

"I'll have a white wine, whatever you think is best," Lisa said, inwardly laughing as she knew it would rack up the bill substantially, which probably would be directed towards Winter. The waiter turned to Jaune.

"I'll have a porter," Jaune said. The waiter momentarily frowned before nodding.

"Very well, and have you both decided on what you'll have?" Lisa nodded.

"Yes, I'll have the Filet Mignon, medium rare, with steam vegetables and a stuffed bake potato." Lisa knew that the Alderhorst was notorious for its expensive cuts of steaks.

"And you sir?" the waiter said, fearing that Jaune would order something imbecilic like a hamburger.

"I'll have the sauerbraten with kartoffelklöße," Jaune said. The Waiter paused, trying to recall what Jaune had ordered was before nodding in affirmation.

"Very well sir, madam, your meal will be out shortly." The waiter left, leaving Lisa and Jaune to go back to their conversation.

"So, if he raised you to be a soldier, then why didn't you join the Atlesian Army?" Lisa asked.

"Because the bandits that killed my family harassed the village, making it difficult to leave," Jaune said. "That and my foster father didn't typically agree with the higher ups in the Atlesian Army."

Jaune knew of the heated arguments between his father Wolfgang and the German, eventually ECA, high command, arguing about how operations should be conducted, what risks were permissible, and other things. It wouldn't be too far for Jaune to imagine the state of wrath Wolfgang would have been in upon seeing the state of Atlas's military.

"I see, so I take it you were a part of the village's militia?" Lisa asked. Jaune nodded. "I see, I can now understand a little about why you would be so…angry about the Huntsmen's neglect of the villages."

Their drinks arrived, and while Lisa sipped her wine, Jaune took a large drink from his porter. Lisa then turned her attention to Jaune, wanting to understand something she had read in stacks of paper Jaune had given her.

"So Jaune, mind if I enquire about something I saw with the paperwork you sent with me?" Lisa asked. Jaune nodded, so Lisa continued. "Why do I see no figures for dust consumption? I mean, you're running a PMC, shouldn't at the very least your ammunition stores consume dust?" Jaune finished the drink he was taking before sighing, setting his glass down.

"Honestly, the main point with my PMC will be it doesn't rely on dust," Jaune said. "And trust me, it's not because I underestimate the value of Dust, but where I grew up, we didn't have access to dust, we made our rifles around nitric-based rounds that propel copper-encased lead rounds, which while they aren't as fancy as Dust rounds, are more accurate, have a higher muzzle velocity, and are cheap. Tell, me, do you know how expensive a single dust round that the Atlas's Army's standard service rifle cost?"

"Not really, but I assume pretty cheap given how quickly they are fire out of their rifles," Lisa said. She only knew that because she had been reporting on a story where Atlesian soldiers formed a gun line and poured down bullets onto the Grimm." Jaune shook his head.

"Nope, every time a Atlesian soldier fires his service rifle, he expends 1.2 lien," Jaune said. Lisa, who was taking a sip, choked on her wine, but with Jaune rubbing her back, she got to breathing normally.

"What, then how does anyone afford to use firearms?!" Lisa asked. Jaune sighed.

"Well, the army it makes sense; they are funded by the government, and despite the cutbacks on military R&D and size, none were made to the funding. Also, the SDC, offers _incentives_ for buying in bulk, slashing the prices by half."

"But wait, that would still make it-"

"Point six of a Lien, yes I know," Jaune said. "But the thing is, the rounds I'm going to have for the PMC's standard rifle will cost naught point two of a lien, before taking into account buying in bulk. In essence, my soldiers could fire six rounds, which by the way will be more accurately, than compared to a single Dust round."

"Also, before you enquire about vehicles, I've submitted some designs for some engineers to make dust-free engineers using hydrogen fuel cells, and buildings, well sadly I have to use fossil fuels, which as you know tend to be rather flammable."

"I see, so that's why you don't have a large requirement for dust," Lisa said. She looked at Jaune, and quietly began rewinding their previous conversation and this one, noticing one odd thing; Jaune never looked her straight in the eye. He looked past her, shifted his view elsewhere, anything but looking her in the eye. She put that thought in the back of her mind as their waiter arrived with their meals. She thanked the waiter, before digging in, resolving to unravel Jaune Maximillian. However, little did she know her plans would be interrupted later by forces that she and the rest of Remnant wouldn't be prepared for.

* * *

 _Present Time, Shade Academy, Vacuo_

* * *

Kelly's hand shook as he marched quietly in his disguise, a simple cloth tunic and pants with a turban, towards his target. The last week had been harrowing and illuminating for Kelly, as he learned that the kingdom he thought he once approved of was as rotted as a week-old corpse.

He saw many Faunus citizens who were overtaxed mining for the dust that was shipped to the outside countries, most with their ribs visible from starvation. He saw children whose families were ripped away from them because the Hunters refused to go so far away from the safety of the large cities to deal with the Grimm. But most importantly he saw that everyone here in the GLA was motivated to see the current rulers of Vacuo taken down and brought to their level.

He saw both humans and Faunus working on makeshift vehicles with weapons bolted on, women crafting the ammunitions for the various weapons the GLA was using, children running combat drills that he only saw in competent military unit, all working together despite their differences because of the injustice, the cruelty, and the hardships they had faced under the current government. And then there was the leadership of the GLA.

Kelly wasn't well informed of who was in command of what, but three people stuck out to him. First was the Mercenary Commander that had captured him, and he obviously led those that were motivated not by zealotry but by greed. Next was a man that Kelly recognized by his name given by the Rangers, 'Sharpton'. He was a notorious bandit leader that had been fighting against Vacou's government and was known for training his men to snipe targets over a kilometer away. But finally, was the man that he had met, and it was clear as day that he was in command of the GLA.

He never learned the man's name, but the way he commanded the Mercenary Commander and Sharpton, it was clear he had plenty of experience in commanding rebel forces. In addition, Kelly knew the man was responsible for the construction of some large scale launch platform that had sandbag walls, vehicle traps, and finally a center concrete structure, with three launch rails arranged in a triangle that pointed into the sky. What it was Kelly never learned, as he had been sent away two days ago for his 'mission of redemption'.

Walking closer, Kelly felt the weight on his chest grow heavier as he neared his target. He passed by the coming citizens. He glanced around, and saw that the festival that Shade Academy was throwing was well underway. He saw families gathered around stalls, various Huntsmen-in-training walking around to maintain the peace, and finally the purpose of his visit at the far end of festival's ground; a stage where Councilman Franz and Professor/Headmaster Lysander were giving a speech.

Kelly made his way quietly, before putting his hand into his pocket, where the trigger to the device on his chest was. He felt a cold tremor run down his spine; he didn't want to die! But if he didn't then his wife and his youngest sons would pay the price, and he would never had made things right for Sarah. He learned that in addition to the bribed jury and judge, it was through Councilman Franz that the father of the bastard who raped his daughter was able to bribe those aforementioned people.

He remembered what he was told before he had disembarked on this mission by the man. _You will die on that day, regardless of if you make the ultimate sacrifice or if your daughter has to take you down yourself. So if you want to make a difference, even if it's only for the betterment of your family, then you make sure this bomb vest is within the target area before you detonate, and remember…_

Kelly was five meters away before he dashed toward the stage. Several students saw him and moved to intercept, but Kelly quickly pulled out the detonator from his pocket. When he was two meters away, he raised it high definitely into the air, before shouting what he was told to say to start a new war. Kelly sent out one last pray in his mind, begging his family to forgive him, while his voice said another.

"FOR THE VNA!" He depressed the button, and in a hot flash, M183 satchel charge detonated, killing everyone on stage and most of the assembled crowd.

But before people could brace themselves, several more explosions rocked throughout the city, and convoys of technical and up-armored buses crashed through the gates, unloading fanatical soldiers into the fray. It didn't take long for the news to spread, all the way to a high-class restaurant in Atlas.

* * *

 _Present Time, Alderhorst Restaurant, Atlas_

* * *

"Oh god, you mean-"

"Yeah, I landed face first in horse shit," Jaune said, sighing in memory of the time his foster father Wolfgang tried to teach Jaune how to ride on horseback. It hadn't ended well; not even five minutes on the horseback he was bucked off and landed in a pile of its shit.

He and Lisa had spent the time they dinner had arrived to discuss their personal lives, and while Lisa's life was filled with achieving her aspirations of becoming a major news anchor, Jaune told tales of his life with Wolfgang, while avoiding the pitfalls that would lead to difficult questions.

As Lisa giggled at the thought of a younger Jaune falling face first into horse manure, Jaune had glanced around, before he felt his eyes widen in shock at something he saw on the television the restaurant had over its bar.

Getting up and ignoring Lisa's question as to where he was going, Jaune closed the distance, his right hand shaking and the phantom memories of pain shooting up his left leg as he read the news caption for what was on the TV. No one else was paying attention, all intent on enjoying their meals, but that was because the TV was silent. Looking at the barkeep, Jaune pointed to the TV.

"Turn that up will you?" Jaune asked, but in reality, it was a command, one the barkeep, once he saw why Jaune was asking, all to readily did.

"- _intense fighting has broken out across Vacuo's capital and the grounds of Shade Academy_ ," the news anchor said. " _We- get down Jefferson!_ " Jaune saw the smoke trail and explosion of a weapon he knew all too well; a RPG-7. The camera man and the news anchor huddled in their bit of cover, which was a concrete road divide.

Soon, other people in the restaurant had heard the TV, and began to turn their attention to it, their expressions of curiosity turning to fear.

" _We've no idea of who is responsible for this attack, but we've since learned that the attack started with a suicide bomber blowing up the stage during Shade Academy's festival of peace, killing Councilman Franz and Headmaster Lysander, along with god only knows how many civilians in the assembled crowd. At this time, a state of emergency has been declared in Vacuo, and all flights into the Kingdom are hereby cancelled. I re-_ "

At this point the broadcast had been cut out, replaced by someone that made Jaune scowl so hard he shattered one of his molars looking at.

" _Citizens of Remnant, I, as leader of the Vacuo Nationalist Army, speak to you_ ," the man on screen said. Everyone in the restaurant looked at one another, wondering why the hell none of them heard of this group, but Jaune knew. Lisa, who had come up to investigate, saw the way Jaune was reacting, and realized he knew who the man was.

" _For years, Vacuo was plundered for its resources, made into a state that depended on the so called charity of outside kingdoms to feed ourselves, and made to bow and suffer under foreign oppression! But no more!"_

" _On this day, we of the Vacuo Nationalist Army have struck our first blow of many against those that would seek to prostitute Vacuo and its citizens for personal wealth and prestige! We killed Councilman Franz, and seek to wipe out the rest of the Council that reside in Vacuo, along with their supporters! We do this to begin to rebuild our country for Vacuo, and for Vacuo only!"_

" _To the citizens of Vacuo, do not fear us; embrace us! We are your liberators, your defenders, you sword and shield, against foreign oppression and dominance! The enemy we fight is not ourselves, but the criminals that sold us out to the other kingdoms, predominantly Vale and Atlas, along with the attack dogs of the Council, the so-called defenders of humanity, the Huntsmen Association. We will make those criminals and our enemies pay for their crimes."_

" _Those that seek to join our ranks will be met with open arms, and your families will be protected. However, those that seek to oppose us will be dealt the same harsh punishment as our enemies. After all, as all civilized people know, the guilty must pay!"_

" _To the other kingdoms, you only need to stay out of this; this is a civil war, not your war. However, if you do intervene on behalf of the corrupt leaders of Vacuo, we will strike back like an avenging angel! Your high walls will not keep us out of your cities, your hunters will not be able to kill our will, and your laws will be ignored as your crimes have long since deemed you unworthy of protection from our wrath."_ The man then opened a blind, and the camera moved to look out the window.

Outside the window, everyone that was tuned in saw an assembled mass of soldiers with columns of tanks and modified vehicles built for war. Overhead, a series of flying craft with rotating blades hovered as a squadron of fixed wing aircraft screamed across the sky.

" _We are the Vacuo Nationalist Army, and we will have our liberation_ ," the man said, before the transmission cut out.

Jaune, pulled his black beret before turning to Lisa.

"I have to leave, I need to warn General Ironwood about that man leading the VNA," Jaune said. He handed her his lien card to her. "Take care of the check with this, and I apologize for leaving, but this can't wait."

He turned to leave, but Lisa's hand gripped his arm.

"Why, what is it about that man has you looking-"

"Like I went through war?" Jaune asked. Lisa nodded. "That man is a mad-dog killer, a bastard who can give a speech without meaning anything he had said, and one who lives for his ecstasy of killing. I must warn Ironwood of him, as this man, if approached with the tactics Atlas employs, will kill countless soldiers with barely any losses of his own."

"Is he that dangerous?" Lisa asked. Jaune looked her in the eye.

"That man's name is Qahira Zaima, which means 'victorious leader', a name he has more than earned with his numerous victories," Jaune said. "He will kill as many people as he can, all the while hiding it behind bullshit propaganda and lies. I must go now to stop him."

Jaune left without another word, leaving Lisa to wonder why if this man was victorious and ruthless, why has no one, especially a news anchor like herself, know or recognized him.

* * *

 _Password required_

 _Input Password_

 _Access Granted Commander_

 _Searching Dossiers of 'GLA Commanders'._

 _Found 4 related dossiers, select a Dossier._

' _All dossiers' selected, please wait as Dossiers are opened._

 _First Dossier entry- General Sulaymann._

 _ **Full Name**_ _: Anwar Sulaymann, AKA Death Merchant, Merchant of Death_

 _ **Faction**_ _: Global Liberation Army_

 _ **Rank**_ _: #1 most Wanted._

 _ **Class**_ _Number: N/A_

 _ **Station**_ _: Mongala, Africa (According to the GRU)_

 _ **Tactics**_ _: overwhelming Brutality_

 _ **Description**_ _: Having fought for the Iraqi insurgency during the pivotal battle of Fallujah as a teenager, Sulaymaan's vicious combat skills and his searing hatred for the West have been sparked at an early age. When the GLA started making headlines in the early 2020s, he was among the thousands of frustrated, disenfranchised volunteers that joined the organization's fight against the global superpowers._

 _His brutal cunning and charisma soon earned him a sizeable powerbase, allowing him to rise through the ranks - more often than not over the dead bodies of his former superiors - which eventually made him the top lieutenant of General Mohmar Deathstrike. Whereas the leader of the GLA was more of a die-hard ideologist and operational mastermind, Sulaymaan used his international contacts to ensure a respectable income from illegal weapons trade. While the GLA conflict was at its height, the "Death Merchant" made profitable deals with many parties regardless of allegiance, selling Israeli submachine guns to Palestinians, communist-made bullets to fascists and much more._

 _After the demise of Deathstrike in 2032, Sulaymaan used his ever-loyal private army to reunite the warring splinter cells and reshape the GLA according to his own ideas, culminating in the occupation of Central Africa where he sought to create his own "warrior paradise", a quasi-nation fueled by the hatred of all the have-nots who had an axe to grind with any haves of their choosing._

 _Most cynically, he enjoyed subverting the moral arrogance of the West for his own ends, using overseas contacts to launch the viral "Stop Sulaymaan" campaign in order to raise awareness for the GLA's horrible atrocities and gather funds for his capture which, in reality, went right into his own pockets. Now, with Central Africa's vital resources firmly under the control of the GLA, it is only a matter of time until someone would dare to challenge him._

* * *

 _Second Dossier entry- General Yusuuf_

 _ **Full Name:**_ _Abdul bin Yusuuf AKA Blackbeard_

 _ **Faction:**_ _GLA_

 _ **Rank:**_ _#2 Most Wanted_

 _ **Class Number:**_ _N/A_

 _ **Station:**_ _Katanga, Africa (according to CIA)_

 _ **Tactics:**_ _Guerilla Terrorism_

 _ **Description:**_ _Hailing from the venerable desert land of Saudi Arabia, Yusuuf has been linked to countless brutal terrorist attacks across the entire Arabian peninsula, as he regards the wasteful, materialistic splendor of its upper class denizens as an affront against the heavens. Worse yet, the rulers have sold themselves out to the interest of America, degrading themselves and their proud people to mere puppets of Western imperialism._

 _As a result, Yusuuf and his "Brotherhood of the White Falcon", one of the most aggressively traditionalist sects in the entire Middle East, were among the first terrorist organizations that sided with Deathstrike's original Global Liberation Army in the late 2010s, injecting it with a massive boost of fanatical followers and fundamentalist zeal. Even today, after the demise of Deathstrike and the purges of his successor Sulaymaan, the Brotherhood remains as the GLA's most hardline faction, which frequently puts them at odds with the - if only by virtue of comparison - more level-headed proto-nationalists headed by Sulaymaan and the violent anti-corporatists represented by Ibrahiim._

 _Nevertheless, the proverbial dinosaur that is Yusuuf is still an important figure in the organization's hierarchy as the size and dedication of his powerbase are still immense. Up until the Chinese occupation of East Africa in 2038, his infamous pirate gangs roamed freely across the entire Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen, allowing GLA raiders to steal millions of dollars worth of foreign shipping and extort additional funds through the taking of hostages. But even now, years after the GLA was driven away from the Indian Ocean for good, Yusuuf's warriors are feared for their ability to mix among the local population, gather intelligence on whatever target has been chosen, and then annihilate it with the utmost brutality and swiftness._

* * *

 _Third Dossier entry- General Ibrahiim_

 _ **Full Name:**_ _Tahar Ibrahiim AKA Frenchman_

 _ **Faction:**_ _GLA_

 _ **Rank**_ _: #3 most wanted_

 _ **Class Number:**_ _N/A_

 _ **Station:**_ _Adamawa, Africa (according to MI6)_

 _ **Tactics:**_ _Bio-chemical Warfare_

 _ **Description:**_ _Having grown up in the derelict Banlieues of Paris, the man who is nowadays known as Ibrahiim was never a stranger to the brutality of class struggle._

 _During his lost youth, he sought contact to one of the local crime gangs which led to his first ventures into the realm of chemistry while working in a crude, ramshackle drug lab. When the Global Liberation Army detonated a nuclear bomb in Beijing in 2019, the ensuing conflict across Central Asia and the Middle East sent shockwaves all around the world which manifested themselves in the form of a new economic crisis. After the demise of Greece, Italy, Spain and several others in the 2010s, it was now France that found itself threatened by a total financial meltdown and to the massive chagrin of Ibrahiim and countless others who had already known the harsh reality behind the lies of economic growth propagated by the mass-media, it was once again the major banks who reaped the benefits of a multi-billion Euro bailout because their reckless business schemes had been deemed "relevant to the system" - A system that Ibrahiim swore to smash into pieces to liberate the proletariat from the shackles of the global financial sharks._

 _When the GLA launched its violent incursion into Germany a few years later, he took the initiative and impressed the legendary Deathstrike with his self-attained skills in chemistry and revolutionary street fighting by staging a spectacular night-raid on a German chemical/pharmaceutics company. A few days later, several tons of toxic substances were dumped into the Lower Rhine, polluting much of the Rhine/Ruhr river system in an unparalleled ecological disaster that left several German cities, including Bonn, Cologne and Duesseldorf uninhabitable until at least 2060._

 _Now, with the GLA once again reborn in Africa, Ibrahiim is in charge of the organization's drug business while keeping alive the legacy of the brilliant Dr. Thrax._

* * *

 _Fourth Dossier entry- Commander Zaima_

 _ **Full Name:**_ _Qahira Zaima AKA the War-Hound_

 _ **Faction:**_ _GLA_

 _ **Rank:**_ _#4 Most Wanted_

 _ **Class Number:**_ _N/A_

 _ **Station**_ _: Unknown, Last Spotted in Sudan, Africa_

 _ **Tactics:**_ _Terror Bombings_

 _ **Description:**_ _Not much is known about the man known as the GLA's War-Hound. Where he came from is unknown, as while his name suggests an Arab background, his complexion seems more Eastern European, backed by his accent. While his exact age, place of birth, and early life is unknown, what is known is that following the first GLA war the man that was Qahira Zaima would make his first public appearance with a raid against an Israeli airfield which was later confirmed to have had a nuclear device on site._

 _Luckily for the world the raid failed, but not without heavy damage sustained to the airfield. Following this, a string of raids, campaigns of bombings and massacres dotted around the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, spreading fear and terror when report of Qahira Zaima was said to have found the man._

 _However, due to his lessons by his 'mentor' General Yusuuf (discovered by the Chinese during their liberation of Mogadishu, Somalia), he always remained ahead of the police, intelligence agencies, militaries, and special forces of the world, gaining a following of zealots that would willingly throw their lives away for Qahira's dreams of 'an unending war'._

 _He gained a notorious reputation during Operation Nemesis, harrying the ECA at every turn with suicide bombers, IEDs, infrastructure destruction, and dive-bombing campaigns with outdated Stuka bombers. Of particular note was his involvement during the GLA's repulsion of Russian Forces in Africa, being the mastermind of the Scrambler Ambush, which destroyed a ECA convoy that would've reached the Russians and possibly tilt the balance in the Russian's favor._

 _However, shortly afterwards he disappeared, the last confirmed sighting being in southern Sudan. Despite efforts to locate him by various Generals and Intelligence Agencies, he has yet to make an appearance. Some wonder the fate of the GLA's War-Hound, while others are glad for his absence._

 _Dossiers closed._

 _Logging you out Commander._

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hello everyone, Panzer4life here, and here is the chapter that lights the fire! But before I get onto the reviews, some points about the chapter and the technical section.**

 **-VNA: As many of you will no doubt wonder, why aren't the GLA calling themselves 'the GLA' in the broadcast, why are they calling themselves the VNA? The reason is simple; by calling themselves a nationalist group, they make the civilians that don't know any better think they will contain their efforts to Vacuo, and thus pressure their government into not going into 'a foreign civil war'. In addition, due to Qahira leading the GLA on Remnant, he would want to cover his insatiable desire for conflict. What better way than appealing to appearing as though he was 'trying to throw off the chains of tyranny'? Of course, this ruse will only last as soon as those in power begin to listen to Jaune's suggestion, but it will be an uphill fight, so it may be too late for Vacuo, who knows?**

 **-Jaune hatred of Qahira: For those wondering why Jaune hates Qahira, I left a spoiler in the description of Qahira so you guys can ponder why Jaune would hate this man. Don't worry, you'll see it fleshed out more in the future. But onto the biggest thing I need to talk about:**

 **-The GLA Generals Dossiers: With the exception of Qahira Zaima (who isn't present in the mod, but is an OC of mine), all of these dossiers were done by the wonderful team of SWR, the ones who created the ROTR mod. I take no credit for their work, and I did copy it from the ROTR's wiki, so we salute the lore writers of ROTR! And aren't they so fluffy?! I mean damn, where most games are content with giving you just a general and their tactics, SWR really did their level best to flesh out the lore in everything, and that shows in their Generals. Seriously, reading the Generals dossiers is so amazing that I still go back and read them.**

 **And now we get onto the reviews!**

 **-Wizzrobe: Thank you for the compliment, and so will the GLA…**

 **-Ironside: Glad to bring it to you attention. But onto you second point, in ROTR, the original 12 generals in Zero Hour aren't present. Its explained in various updates, but I'll explain each one as quickly as possible.**

 **The Chinese Tank and GLA Bomb General were killed off in the nuclear blast the wiped-out Hamburg, Germany, the GLA Toxin General captured by US forces, US Air Force and US Superweapon Generals were sacked for the failure of the aurora bomber, US laser general imprisoned for mutiny following the US army cutbacks, Chinese Nuke and Infantry Generals presumably retired by the time the events of WW3 occur, possibly much earlier, GLA stealth general killed off by the GLA commander, and finally the Chinese General Leang (ZH's boss general) was sacked by the Chinese and her army was put under the command of the ROTR's Chinese General Mau, China's Special Weapons General, and General Deathstrike was killed off after the first GLA war.**

 **So, I won't be doing the ZH generals dossiers, but you can bet I will be doing it for ROTR's generals. But when it makes sense to mention them, like I did with this chapter.**

 **-Warmach1ne32: Fortifications are useful regardless of weather conditions; while snow may hamper their effectiveness, it does allow a certain degree of protection from the elements for those that would have to patrol the frozen landscape. As for barbwire and tank traps, I don't know how many pictures I can find on the internet of creatures getting tangled up in barbwire and dying, while tank traps, yeah not effective against smaller grimm, bigger ones like Goliaths wouldn't be so easily able to crush them, especially dragon-teeth, which are concrete. Also you can always add a sharpened tip so they can't smash them down without getting a spike in the foot!**

 **I didn't go into how Jaune beat three instructors by himself, first off, they aren't better than Winter; they would be like a Gunnery Sergeant while Winter is more of a Army-huntress, the rank of Specialist not that of Earth's Specialist, which if she was, then I could understand your confusion. I should've pointed that out. Also, the instructors are trained to use mass of fire over personal combat skill, unlike Jaune, who may have been a tank commander, but like all modern soldiers received some training in CQC and probably maintained his skill over the years with spars. So its like throwing a soldier against 3 civilians who haven't really fought before.**

 **As for Winter's connection to Lisa, well I could see Winter, due to being ironwood's Speciqalist, having to coordinate with Lisa to make sure that Atlas's military has good press, plus Winter's connection to the SDC, even if muted, would make someone like Lisa, who always looking for the next scoop of insider knowledge, come to her in most situations. Remember, a good news reporter must find the stories that people want to hear about, not wait until someone else reports it.**

 **Luhar1997: Oh god, the PLA's view vs Remnant would be like oil and water; they wouldn't mix well. That said, I could see a lot of people, perhaps especially the Faunus, like the ideals of the PLA. As for what the PLA bring to the table, hehe, truly, I wonder what bricks the Grimm will shit when hordes of overlord tanks come crashing down a hill, dual 120mm cannons blasting them away while Gatling cannons mow down the hordes. But they won't be popping up for a long while, sorry to say. That said, they will make an appearance.**

 **And that is it for now guys, thank you for reading this chapter, and as always, please read, review, follow and favorite, and I'll catch you guys next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: The Changing Tide**_

* * *

 _Present Time, Ironwood's Office, Atlas_

* * *

James stared at the news, military, and huntsmen reports that were flooding in from Vacuo. To say it was a disaster was an unmitigated understatement. First and most obvious thing out of the way; Vacuo was gripped in total civil war! Never since the Great War has Remnant seen anything quite like the fighting Vacuo was facing, with both sides fighting like devils for victory.

The VNA was making lighting fast strikes all around the country, severing Vacuo's ability to effectively respond with their own army and huntsmen. They bombarded bases, ambushed convoys, and taken control of many of the frontier towns, not only gaining their support and resources but bolstering their army. They also were using weapons that Ironwood either didn't recognize or wouldn't if not for Jaune Arc. However, even with Arc's knowledge, James didn't know enough on how to handle the situation, which made his current predicament all the more troubling.

"I demand an immediate response to this attack!" shouted the replacement Councilman for Vacou, Councilor Charles. "We can't let this VNA get too dug in!"

"We don't know what the full scope of the situation is though," calmly replied Atlas's Councilwoman, Vera von Gaius. "However, rest assured, once we have more intel on the VNA's capabilities, Atlas will send in its fleet to crush them."

"Bah, how long will it be until your fleets arrive to support Vacuo?!" mocked Vale's councilman Woodrow Scott. "I assure you Councilor Charles, Vale will support Vacuo to the best of its ability."

"What support would that be?" asked the most enigmatic of the councilors, the councilwoman of Mistral, one Semiramis Topaz.

"Why, the Huntsmen of Vale of course!" Woodrow stated. James sighed as he saw Ozpin shake his head.

"You keep forgetting Councilor, the Huntsmen are separate from the Council, and thus not yours to command," Ozpin coolly stated. "That being said, I can see many of Vale going to volunteer to fight against the VNA."

"Tch, you keep assuming too much Ozpin," Woodrow snarled out. Ironwood saw Charles nod his agreement; this could be the start of some internal power grab.

"Regardless, what good would any amount of support be if we don't know where to attack?" inquired Vera. Charles waved her concerns off.

"We'll focus on retaking the capital and other big cities, then deal with the issue of the VNA remnants," Charles stated. Ironwood was about to interject when he saw his scroll indicating he had someone at the door. Choosing to ignore the councilors' debate, Ironwood tapped his scroll to allow whoever was at the door to enter. In came Jaune Arc and Winter Schnee, with Jaune looking like he was about to explode with apocalyptic fury.

"What is it Colonel?" Ironwood said, mostly to keep the Councilors from interrupting him and Jaune.

"The man leading the VNA, I know him," Jaune said, getting straight to the point. "You remember the dossiers I gave you?"

James nodded, those dossiers, which covered the major players back on Earth, focusing on the GLA due to Jaune's hatred for the terror cell, were highly enlightening. He had been looking to review the GLA's arsenal more in depth than his light skim he had done before the first reports of the VNA uprising occurred.

"He is Qahira Zaima," Jaune said, causing James to take a deep breath to steady himself. From what he read, Qahira was a mad dog killer that thrived for a war without end. Yet, he should've been on Earth, so why was Jaune certain he was here on Remnant?

"Wait, you mean-"

"Somehow, he's here, wreaking havoc in Vacuo, most likely to build up his own empire," Jaune said as calmly as he could. "I should be able to recognize that smug bastard anywhere, considering he made me his unofficial 'rival', and made my life a living fucking hell."

James saw the raw anger in Jaune's eyes and nodded.

"Very well, so I take it you would know how best to deal with-" James was interrupted by Vera and Charles yelling at one another.

"I will not send brave Atlesian soldiers to their death trying to cross the treacherous desert on the ground!" Vera shouted. Jaune raised an eyebrow at the statement; what the hell were the councilors talking about? James tried to catch him up, key word tried, as Charles's shouting deafen any attempt.

"You won't send in your fleets, you won't send in your soldiers, what's next, you won't send in your drones?!" Charles yelled back. "Vacuo's rail lines are secured against the Grimm, and therefore secure against the VNA! They would be foolish to try and damage them, as it would hurt them as much as it would hurt us, maybe even more so!"

"You idiot, we don't know their full capability!" Vera argued. "We need intel-"

"Damn it Vera, admit you are just waiting for the VNA to crush any hope of Vacuo's military before taking Vacuo under 'Atlas's Protection'!" intervened Woodrow. "I am sick of Atlas trying to gain control over Remnant; we've should've dismantled Mantel and its descendants brick by bloody brick!"

"As though you could!" Vera shouted. "Without the dust that comes from Atlas, you and the other kingdoms would've long fallen to the Grimm!"

The councilors began bickering amongst themselves, leaving James, Winter, Jaune, and Ozpin to sit on the side, shaking their heads at the Council's petty antics. Of course, Councilor Semiramis was quiet, but then again, it seemed she was waiting to see who would win the argument.

Jaune turned to James before speaking.

"Regardless of whatever the council decides, you must take Qahira Zaima seriously," Jaune began. "He will take one look at your military before finding ways to shatter your army's will to fight."

"But our air fleets are nothing to scoff at though," Winter spoke up. "If we committed them and a decently sized land contingent, we could liberate the capital in a couple of days."

"I brought up my issues with your military capabilities before, but with the VNA, you are facing a whole new issue. The VNA will use guerilla warfare to hit your army seemingly everywhere. They won't face you in open battle, and if they do, then it's because they've assured victory beforehand," Jaune stated.

"Yes, but what could the VNA have to challenge the air fleets?" James inquired.

"Did you read the GLA dossiers that I gave you?"

"More in depth with their commanders," James admitted. "I lightly skimmed their arsenal, but nothing jumped at me except the bomb trucks."

"Alright, fair enough," Jaune said. "The GLA may not have the longest range anti-aircraft weapons, nor the most powerful, but they make up for this with camouflaging them to blend into the environment. One moment you could have a air wing moving onto their objectives, and the next they are under fire with no idea where the attack is coming from, taking heavy losses. And considering how slow your aircraft are in comparison to Earth's, you will take horrific losses."

"Also, on the ground, they will have their highly modifiable tanks, the Scorpion and Maruder tanks, in addition to various mobile units that fulfill a wide range of roles. They will remain hidden for as long as they can, before coming in and trying to punch your ticket."

"I see," Ironwood said. "So how did the various governments deal with the GLA?"

"Well, the ECA used heavily fortified outposts to screen the main bases, and used a combination of heavy armor and detectors to negate the GLA's ability to run and hide. The US made extensive use of drones and satellites, sending in their air force to shatter the GLA outposts with the ground forces moving to cut off their retreat. The Chinese used numbers to drown the GLA, using their heavy tanks to weather the GLA's attack while have their APCs equipped with IR and motion sensors to detect hidden GLA forces. Russia simply equipped their conscripts with IR goggles and made towers capable of detecting the GLA before they could attack."

"Well, which one would benefit us the most?" James asked.

"You have the drones, but do you have infra-red technology?" Jaune asked, getting a nod. "Then I suppose the US strategy would be best, but instead have the ground elements move in, find the VNA, then call in air strikes on the VNA's position."

"That would work, but as you see-"

"The councilors are waging war amongst themselves," Winter finished for Ironwood. "How are we going to convince them to listen to Jaune's advice?"

"It's more like a warning," Jaune grumbled as he looked at the Councilors with disdain. He hated politicians, especially after they forced his father into retirement and tried to defame him further for the Scrambler Incident.

"I think I can convince them to listen, as I am the general for the Atlesian army, and if not, Jaune, we need you to get your forces well underway."

"I understand sir," Jaune replied. "But we are still waiting on-"

"I'll handle them," Winter quickly interjected. "Just give me the people you need convincing, and I'll get you their support. Just get started on rolling out men that you are certain are better than any we currently have."

"Alright, thank your Winter. And General, tell the council not to treat the VNA as another army, as it will only lead to the forces sent in into a massacre."

"I will," James said. As Jaune and Winter left, James turned his attention to the squabbling councilors, the enigmatic Councilor Semiramis, and the quiet observing Ozpin, leaving the General to wonder; how much would the council listen to him?

* * *

 _Outside Shade Academy, Vacuo_

* * *

"Our forces have captured Shade Academy, the air docks, and at least fifty percent of the residential district," Sarah stated calmly as she cleaned her PTRS-41 sniper rifle. She was selected to lead a platoon of snipers in the capital. Their mission was simple; assist the GLA- _ahem_ -VNA forces by removing heavy weapon teams, officers, and any huntsmen and huntresses. While the platoon suffered early losses, losing a squad due to a combination of not following their training, taking shots at officers that had hundreds of men around them with nothing else to shoot at, and a determined huntress, they begun to make up quickly with taking out multiple targets out simultaneously before skirting back into the shadow.

If they weren't popping officers, they were acting as spotters for the Rocket Buggies and the BM-21 Grad. If not that, then relay to the other commanders of the enemy's movement. If not even doing that, then they were setting up scramblers to interfere with radio communication and lead the enemy into ambushes. It was slow, methodical, and deadly.

"Very good Commander Sarah," Qahira Zaima praised the young woman. Unlike the others, he saw her potential; she had the will to execute her orders, and a hatred that prevent any remorse from interfering. "Outside the capital, our forces are making rapid gains; around forty percent of the frontier towns have pledge their allegiance to us, and we have new recruits flooding in. However, it won't be long before the Council comes in with their military."

"What will we do if they arrive?" Sarah inquired.

"Simple, we lure them in, cut them off from retreating, then kill them in the desert," Qahira said confidently. "We rinse, repeat the process, and adapt should they do something unexpected."

"And what if they send in large formations of Huntsmen?" Sarah asked.

It wasn't an unfounded fear; Huntsmen on their own were worth a hundred soldiers fresh from basic, a team of four worth five hundred, and a platoon of 16 could decide the entire fate of battles in hours. At least with Remnant's history of warfare. However, to Qahira, the Huntsmen were over-hyped soldiers that had inflated egos and squandered their skills.

"We have weapons that no Huntsmen can adequately prepare themselves for," Qahira reassured his commander. "If they insist on fighting our troops, our tanks will crush them. If they try and run away, our air force shall send them to the stone age. If they try to cower in cover, well, the first of the toxin tractors are coming out, and so they will witness the brutality of chemical warfare."

Sarah may not have understood what made chemical warfare brutal, but she saw a demonstration of a concoction being used on pigs that were in a building that was deemed 'sealed'. The walls offered no protection against the sludge that got through any holes and cracks in the walls, before killing the pigs swiftly. She was therefore certain that the Toxin Tractors would do their job, especially if their glorious leader believed in them.

"Very well, then what do you need of me and my men?"

"When the Council sends their dogs to conquer Vacuo, I want your men to target any and all of their commanders; the armies of Remnant are too reliant on the chain of command, and therefore taking out key aspects of the chain will lead to entire formations to be hanging in the wind," Qahira stated. "In addition, if you can, I want you to keep their forces stuck in their landing zone; we have artillery ready to destroy them, we just need them in one place."

"Understood sir," Sarah said. "Oh, any idea when those AP rounds are due to come my units way?"

"Very soon," Qahira assured Sarah. The line went dead, leaving Sarah to smirk as she loaded a clip into the PTRS-41, quickly sighting a radioman. She leveled the anti-tank gun at the man, be firing, smiling as the round blew the man's head clean off.

* * *

1 Week Later, Ironwood's Office, Atlas

* * *

Jaune, James, and Winter were seated at a table, looking over the planned liberation of Vacuo, codenamed Operation Sandstorm. Jaune was shaking his head in disgust.

"Who the hell came up with these plans?!" Jaune bit out. "They are setting themselves to fail before they even begin the fight!"

"General Dwight of Vale, and I use the term General with a bucket of salt. But what's the biggest issue you see?" James asked. Jaune sighed.

"General Dwight's master plan involves no coordination between any of the forces involved. I mean, look, he expects the small airfleet that Atlas agreed to send to take the Northern regions by themselves, the Huntsmen are expected to rush into the capital without any support besides what they can carry, while the Vale army gets to march en masse from their landing zones through the fucking desert to the capital! I mean, how the hell will Dwight's army not get massacred as they cross that desert is beyond me!" Jaune stated.

"Unfortunately, no one is listening to reason," James said. "I tried to convince the Council to take your advice, under the guise of our intelligence officers' recommendation, but Vale's and Vacuo's councilman are all onboard General Dwight's plan as it offers on paper a quick liberation of Vacuo's capital. Worse yet, they dismissed the capability of the VNA's weapons, stating that 'since Atlas has the best weapons, victory shall be assured'."

"The stupid wunderwaffe argument," Jaune commented, before seeing the confusion in James and Winter's eyes. "Wunderwaffe is the German word for Wonder Weapon, and it describes any weapon that is expected to turn the tide of battles or wars by their mere presence. As the Third Reich found out in the Second World War, that wasn't the case at all."

"I see," Winter said. "But what about the weapons you are bringing? I mean, they look impressive, but…"

"I understand your hesitancy, as you've never seen the kind of weapons that I'm hoping Atlas will adopt, along with the tactics and strategies need to employ them," Jaune said. "The difference is that the weapons I'm bringing from Earth to here have been undergoing an evolution for well beyond a century. Speaking of, how were the companies' reaction to my design demands?"

"Most have agreed to work on the production of the various vehicles you designed. Three of the companies will focus on the chassis and interior, two will be responsible for manufacturing the hydrogen fuel cell engines, and Rheine works has agreed to make the large caliber cannons," Winter informed Jaune. "In addition, your bases is nearing completion.

"Good, that means that the heavy vehicles will be ready for my men to train in," Jaune said. "Any idea when the first group of recruits will be available to be training?"

"Within the week," Ironwood said. "Winter and I have coordinated the first batch of recruits, both civilian and military volunteers, with an expected 'class' of around three hundred."

"Three hundred, not bad, but also not great," Jaune muttered. "Though I suppose I can expect another similar size group at the end of the first?" James nodded.

"Yes, that way with your 8 weeks of basic, over the course of a year a total of 1200 men will be trained to your ECA's standards. It's not much, but-"

"But if those in control of Atlas's military start to pay attention, then the changes can be adapated to the rest of the military," Jaune finished for Ironwood. "But still, I can't help but worry for the men being sent forth into the meat grinder that the fighting in Vacuo will be." Ironwood nodded.

"I know; knowing you have experience dealing with a threat, only to be ignored, is the worst thing to feel, as you feel every death that happens could've been if those above had listened," James said. Jaune nodded.

"Yes, the regrets us commanders must endure for reasons that could've been avoided if the politicans weren't so prideful," Jaune said, glancing out a window towards the shattered moon. Hopefully, Remnant wouldn't be shattered like the moon by the VNA's war.

* * *

 _Password Required_

 _Input Password_

 _Access Granted Commander_

 _Searching for 'GLA Infantry Dossiers'_

 _Found 9 related dossiers, please select a Dossier_

' _All dossiers' selected, please wait as Dossiers are opened._

 _First Dossier entry- GLA Worker_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _Global Liberation Army has since their creation taken military prisoners and slaves to do their hard work. Often cited as being the lowest link in the GLA chain of command, slaves and prisoners were usually the Workers of frontline GLA camps. They were tasked with erecting tents, workshops and depots where GLA soldiers and vehicles could come in, re-arm and repair. During the Global War on Terror the GLA didn't even spare the Workers any shirts or shoes, but Anwar Sulaymaan, successor of Mohmar 'Deathstrike', is very well aware that there would be no war without them, and has provided them shirts and shoes._

 _Second Dossier Entry- GLA Rebel_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _When warlord Mohmar 'Deathstrike' first created the Global Liberation Army, all he had at his disposal was a relatively small group of armed fundamentalists. While they had been in many battles before and were somewhat professional, Mohmar knew he couldn't achieve his goals with only a small group of 100-ish soldiers. So, during the two-years time between 2017 and 2019, he set out through Kazakhstan, Aldastan and pretty much all of Central Asia to spread the word, that a new liberator has arrived and they needed their help. The impoverished farmers, workers, tribesmen, homeless and workless believed his speeches of purity, and so they joined his ranks. When the GLA made their first move by nuking downtown Beijing in 2019, Mohmar had a whole army of followers with hundreds of thousands armed rebels. Cheap, easy to train and expandable, the Rebel stands at the frontline of the Global Liberation Army, armed to the teeth with AK-47s and molotov cocktails._

 _Third Dossier Entry- Tunnel Defender_

 _ **Description**_ _: The GLA is known for their use of recycling a lot of leftover military valuables, but most of their battle-worthy equipment comes from the various black market chains they operate with. One old but very reliable weapon utilized by the forces of the GLA is the effective RPG-7 launcher. When the GLA first attacked China, they did so with brutal efficiency, setting off a nuclear weapon in downtown Beijing, and subsequently ambushing the survivors with hundreds of crude fundamentalists. Most were armed with the RPG-7s, but when the GLA pulled back from the onslaught of Chinese forces, they hid inside their vast tunnel networks. When the enemy tanks rolled by, they would pop out and attack the enemy from all sides. Realizing the efficiency of this shoot-and-scoop tactic, the GLA posted many RPG-wielding rebels on every network entrance. The rest of the GLA gave them the comical nickname 'Tunnel Defenders'._

 _Fourth Dossier Entry- Terrorist_

 _ **Description**_ _: The fanatical and suicidal Terrorists have been an integral part of the GLA's operations since their dawn in the early 2020s. The Terrorists are always eager to make the ultimate sacrifice for the GLA's cause, while their organization is more than willing to give them a chance as long as it enables them to deliver critical blows to the enemy's troops and supplies._

 _With the development and improvement in GLA's stealth technologies (which have rendered most defensive structure's detection capabilities useless) and new emphasis on subterranean tactics, the Terrorist is now more feared than ever before and remains a popular method among GLA commanders for "fast and tactical" strikes. However the Terrorist still remains almost entirely defenseless to keep them cost efficient and can be killed easily by even firearms before they reach their target._

 _Fifth Dossier Entry- Stinger Soldier_

 _ **Description**_ _: GLA fighters revel in the irony of American warplanes being shot down by their own anti-air missile systems. The FIM-92 Stinger, acquired by the GLA through their extensive black market connections, remains one of the most effective anti-air weapons even though it is almost a century old. Stinger soldiers are usually grouped in three at specific locations, nicknamed 'stinger sites', where hostile aircraft traverse often. Lately however these sites have become easier for bombers to target and destroy, resulting in the mobile Ural trucks transporting stinger soldiers between locations, and even the soldiers themselves hiding among the foliage and striking when the aircraft pilot least expects it. Because of their large Stinger launcher they can't carry any secondary weapon heavier than a personal defense weapon, most commonly a pistol._

 _Sixth Dossier Entry- Partisan_

 _ **Description**_ _: Whether they lived in the deserts of North Africa, the war-torn cities of the Middle East or the mountains of Afghanistan - These veteran insurgents have fought against the global superpowers and their allies in the defense of their ancestral homelands for decades even prior to the appearance of the GLA in 2019. Throughout the entire war and its aftermath, the Global Liberation Army consisted of a solid nucleus of highly organized cells that shifted their operations around the world, supported by an innumerable mass of local volunteers, tribal groups and strongman militia that rotated in and out of the GLA's ranks as required._

 _Partisans are indomitable fighters who are familiar with the terrain and thus capable to move swiftly and covertly. Their weaponry usually consists of obsolete bolt-action rifles that have been passed down their families for generations, including the venerable British Lee-Enfield, the Russian Mosin-Nagant or the German-made Karabiner 98k. Having honed their marksmanship from the first day they could hold a firearm, the Partisans can still score impressive long-range shots with these dated weapons despite their lack of modern optics. Their sole piece of halfway modern technology is a modified military-grade radio receiver which, upon deployment, allows the Partisans to tap into hostile communications to detect enemies at long range._

 _Seventh Dossier Entry- Hijacker_

 _ **Description**_ _: The ever efficient if not slightly peculiar Hijackers remain one of GLA's strongest answers towards superior enemy armor. These highly skilled and ruthless GLA agents are trained to enter and take control of enemy vehicles in a matter of minutes. It has been reported that even highly armored tanks are not safe from their reach and they remain a symbol of sheer terror for vehicle crews of all those who oppose the GLA's cause._

 _Eighth Dossier Entry- Mercenary_

 _ **Description**_ _: Honed by a lifetime full of war and bloodshed, these Mercenaries form the elite cadre of Sulaymaan's army. Due to their fierce reputation, they tend to enjoy an air of awe and privilege among the GLA, as they are only ones who can ask their leaders for noticeably higher rewards and walk away with their heads still on their shoulders. Unlike the common rabble, Mercenaries have exclusive access to the GLA's special arsenal of looted local weapons from South Africa, including the Vektor R4 assault rifle, the SS-77 machine gun and the Milkor 40mm grenade launcher. In addition, every Mercenary is armed with the single most common weapon on the African continent: A lethal machete that can kill a person with only a single, well executed swipe._

 _In combat, the Mercenaries are not only feared for their superior weapons and raw brutality, but also for their resilience and fearlessness: It has been reported that these men fire themselves up macabre ceremonies before the battle, putting them in a permanent state of blood-crazed frenzy in which their perception of pain - and morality - is numbed._

 _Ninth Dossier Entry- Angry Mob_

 _ **Description**_ _: Pulled from the masses of thousands of troubled cities, the Angry Mob remains one of the most troublesome unit types on the battlefield. Their destructive capabilities were first witnessed by the GLA in Astana during the Global War on Terror, and since then, the GLA have hired many of these angry citizens to wreak havoc on the enemy. Many of the partisans have lost all their hope for better life and are just in it to see the ones that created their suffering die in a pitch-black fire. Even to this day, the Angry Mobs can be spawned from any city by the GLA propaganda, and all are still willing to fight for the GLA's cause._

 _Dossiers closed._

 _Logging you out Commander_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Woah, sorry for the delay, I've been out of it for the last month or so, mostly due to family drama but also having to watch my friend's dog while he was out of town for about a week in total. But I'm back, and we're getting to the fighting, so let's get to some key points!**

 **-Unit dossiers: Like last week, these were all done by the good folks on the SWR production team. A few of you that play ROTR will know that some units that are going to show up in the next patch aren't here; that's because while the Wiki may have some names, they don't have any details, so I'm not including them until they are in the game. So these units are already in the game, and they will be the premise of the VNA's forces.**

 **-The Councillors: These people are going to be the biggest idiots in the world, as they will want to interfere with military affairs despite having no understanding of how wars are fought. This mirrors my resentment with the US Congress and Senate interfering and deciding how wars should be fought, instead of leaving it to the generals that trained for war. However, their support will be needed if Vacuo is to be liberated from the VNA.**

 **-Sarah's snipers: This unit will be recurring, and a source of pain for the incoming armies. Sarah is given command of the unit and wields the gigantic PTRS-41, a nod to the GLA's 'hero', Jamen Kell. That guy in the original Zero Hour was evil, able to snipe the pilots out of tanks and helicopters with disgusting ease. In ROTR, they removed his pilot snipe due to a bug that happened, and stated he got injured and went from the KSVK to the smaller and more manageable SVD. But Sarah won't have buggy issues to contend with, so just wait to see what she can pull off with her anti-tank rifle. And remember, bitches love cannons!**

 **-Jaune's 'PMC': It's getting there, but it won't be for another 9 weeks before Jaune's forces can get out there to assist with the fighting in Vacuo. But with the companies making his custom weapons and vehicles, he and his first batch will be a pivotal. But while we are waiting for the first 'class' to finish basic, we'll have a few flashbacks to Jaune's earlier years, the fighting that the forces under General Dwight are facing against the VNA, and more character development!**

 **Now onto reviews!**

 **-Warmach1ne32: Depends on the tank traps used; dragon's teeth wouldn't be knocked over so easily, but Czech Hedgehog, yeah, those would be. Also, thanks for pointing out how Stahl couldn't do everything with regards to what Jaune needs, so I addressed it lightly in this chapter.**

 **But about what you think is a Cosmodrome, it isn't that; it's a structure the GLA has, and- ah screw trying to hide what it is, it's a freaking Scud Storm! Qahira Zaima had a few Scud missiles under his control, so when he arrived on Remnant, he managed to find and 'recruit' them to build more Scuds so he can use them. This will be a major plot event later, but for now because no one outside of the GLA knows of it, there won't be any attempts to knock it out.**

 **-Luhar1997: I will do a faction's back ground shortly, as well as history sections when needed. But rest assured, the other factions will get involved.**

 **-Pinkpower3612: Thanks for that I didn't realize I SNAFU on the name. As for adding a MAWLR, hehe, I'm hesitant to do this, as that thing is positively huge. I could see it maybe being built as a capital weapon, but not before Jaune's PMC becomes the basis for Atlas's military. As for Ironwood and Jaune, they are allies, not like General Shepard and that Blackwater PMC.**

 **-Luhar1997 (Again): Sorry mate, like I said, family drama and watching my friends dog. But here is this chapter!**

 **And that is it for now guys, thank you for reading this chapter, and as always, please read, review, follow and favorite, and I'll catch you guys next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Operation Sandstorm

Chapter 8: Operation Sandstorm

* * *

 _1 day prior to the start of Operation Sandstorm, Atlas Academy Ironwood's Office_

* * *

"Well, the Atlesian Airfleet of 3 air-frigates and the contingent of 1000 soldiers and 2000 droids are en-route," General Ironwood informed Winter and Jaune, who had been spending the time between they learned of Sandstorm until now finishing Jaune's base and getting the first batch of Jaune's soldiers under training. They had watched from the sideline as the approaching disaster that was Sandstorm grew.

Jaune was the most pissed with how the buildup of Sandstorm was going. Amongst this was the blatant disregard of information withhold that General Dwight was displaying. He openly boasted how large the operation would be, where it would strike, and had even when the attack would occur. Seriously, it was like Dwight was being paid by the VNA to give them all the details.

Next was that Jaune realized how badly prepared Vale's army was. He had thought Atlas was unprepared, but Vale was practically jumping up and down on a rotting foundation. Their men were given no personal protection, their arms were semi-auto rifles that should've been replaced, and they had practically little to no training. They were men given a patch, a gun, and told to march to their deaths.

But the biggest problem was the Hunters. They refused to take any equipment to radio for help should they need it, they refused to have a couple of medics tag along, and they were arrogant about their capabilities. One man in particular, a Henry Winchester, bragged he would take the head of the VNA's leader and mount it on a plaque in his living room. Jaune had to restrain the urge to strangle the dummkopf; Qahira had gone toe-to-toe with a squad of Israeli Mossad single handily, using only a pistol and a handful of grenades, and came out on top.

"Tell me you managed to convince the commander in charge to use extreme caution, right?" Jaune asked.

"I had spoken with Captain Raeder, and he acknowledges your advice. Sadly, the council and Dwight might force him to proceed without caution," Ironwood stated. "Although he is competent, knowing when to retreat from a losing battle. He isn't going to sacrifice his men just because of some politicians' demands for glory."

"That's good, but what are the other commanders that are leading the offensive like; besides that incompetent twat Dwight," Jaune inquired.

"Well, the one leading the huntsmen is Leonidas Nikos, who can rally those around him regardless of the situation. Tough as stones and extremely skilled when it comes to fighting the Grimm, he mostly worked around Mistral taking care of any Grimm threats near his home, so he has practically no combat experience against people," Ironwood began. "Next, we have Dwight's second in command, Major Zero. He is adept with strategy, but he mostly worked with intelligence groups and serves as Vale's eyes and ears. I've met him a few times, and he is generally quiet and reserve in his actions. Finally, there is the one that is leading the contingent of Atlas's forces on the ground, General Eisenbrecher. The man is too aggressive in his actions, to the point it's suicidal. I fear that if the drones were replaced with men, the media would scream for an immediate end to our efforts due to losses."

"Well shit," Jaune muttered. "Besides Major Zero, who might actually be of considerable help in getting intel on the VNA's efforts and plans, the rest are useless or inexperienced."

"Well, if it makes you feel better Jaune, I got word that the first shipment of weapons and munitions from Stahl has begun to arrive," Winter spoke up. "Apparently the engineers at Stahl are liking the new weapons as they are easier to build and the ammo is less likely to explode. And I spoke with a couple of the sergeants who are going to be a part of your force praise the accuracy and rate of fire of the assault rifle. They have their doubts about the PDWs and the 'Panzerfaust', as they are unused to such weapons, but if they work they will be glad to have them."

"I don't doubt the soldiers will like the firepower that they are about to receive," Jaune commented. "The MP-57 was well liked by ECA tank crews, engineers, and REMFs for its lightweight frame and high-capacity armor piercing rounds, while the Panzerfaust, well the AT corps hated them due to their weight but other than that they worked wonders."

"REMFs?" Winter asked, not recognizing the term. However, instead of Jaune answering, Ironwood did.

"Rear Echelon Mother Fuckers," Ironwood answered. "It's used due to front-liners hating those in the rear being comparatively safe while they are forced to face the brunt of the enemy's assault."

"I see," Winter said. "Also, from all the reports I gathered from the various factories, the first vehicles off the line will be the Lynx APCs and the Pandur IFVs. The Leopards and Gepard tanks will take longer due to the track suspension and armor, but-"

"So long as my forces have the Lynx and Pandurs, we will be fine," Jaune replied. "While they are thinly armored, they can go almost anywhere; both are amphibious, and the Lynx also can go up incredibly steep inclines, even on soft ground. I think the VNA won't be expecting us to come through the ever-shifting deserts, and instead go through the harder, and therefore predictable, roads."

"But won't the heavy armor be better?" Ironwood asked. Jaune shook his head.

"As far as I can tell, the deserts in Vacuo are not suitable for main battle tanks, as they will dig themselves into the dirt due to their heavy weight. However, for retaking the capital and other major cities, where there is solid ground, then they will more than make up for their absence. But really, we need to get the artillery out onto the battlefield; I really don't want to be outgunned by the VNA because they have artillery and we don't," Jaune said.

"Hmm, if we manage to secure air superiority, then perhaps we can hunt down the VNA's artillery," Winter said. Jaune sighed.

"If we had stealth aircraft, then perhaps, but we don't. We don't even have fast movers or counter measures against their very likely surface to air missiles or their quad cannons," Jaune pointed out. "Your aircraft will be gunned down if they are not careful, which I suspect will be the case for most of the early stage of the war. You've never really had to engage forces that could directly counter your air forces before. The GLA had years to perfect the art of taking down enemy air forces, using man portable Stinger missiles, half-tracks with quad cannons, and during their fight against Russia they even managed to convert their mobile Stinger sites to carry deadly SA-3 surface to air missiles."

"So essentially, our main advantage is going to be easily countered?" Ironwood asked. "Then how are we to neutralize artillery if it's going to be a deciding factor?"

"Honestly, until we have artillery of our own or can come up with counter measures for the VNA's anti-air defenses, the only option is to keep our units small and dispersed, to render the strength of artillery null and void by the cost to deploy them and use them," Jaune said. "However, most of Atlas's army is on large scale battle formations and not tactical platoon or squad level engagements."

"I see," Ironwood said before sighing. "This war is going to be a bloody affair isn't?"

"Yes, yes it will be," Jaune said solemnly.

* * *

 _0:00 hours, Operation Sandstorm Phase 1, Landing Site Alpha, Pvt. Sanders of the Valean Army_

* * *

Inside the LVT-1 that rocked as it traveled through the rough seas to the landing beaches, Private Azure Sanders gripped his VMR-45 in his hand, quietly wondering why the hell he thought being in the army was a good idea. He never thought for a moment he would be walking into the opening acts of a war, as all international conflict had practically ceased since the Great War. He wanted a secure job to support his wife and their soon to be born daughter, and the army seemed the best fit.

Boy was he regretting that so much right now. When the VNA came out of nowhere and took over Vacuo in a matter of weeks, it took everyone by surprise and no one knew what to think. Listening to the television, most would think the war would be a done deal in favor of Vale and Atlas. But he had heard rumors from the career soldiers, and it seemed that if Vacuo could fall so quickly then this VNA was going to be very dangerous.

He could faintly hear the splashes of shells impacting the water from the LVT-1's interior, which scared him; if the enemy was already shooting at them, then on the beaches it would be total hell.

"Everyone, we are three minutes from landing; check your gear and ammo! I don't want you grunts dying on me because you had to reload your rifle on the beaches!" shouted his sergeant. Sanders quickly checked his rifle, pulling on the receiver slightly to make sure a round was chambered. Putting the receiver back in place when he was certain it was loaded, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

Unfortunately for the young private, a shell impacted just shy of the landing craft, throwing everyone around. Sanders himself had hit the side of the craft's interior wall, which caused his head to ring and drop his rifle. Getting up slowly, Sanders bent down to pick up his rifle, which he would later declare to be a fucking miracle.

For when he knelt down to pick his rifle up, several 12.7mm anti-material rounds began to perforate the landing craft's paper-thin armor, killing so many of Sander's squad before they got to the beach proper. Sanders threw himself as he was showered with the blood and flesh of his comrades, his ears echoing his comrades' dying scream. He felt like he wanted to puke, but he kept it together; there was the mission at hand.

When the craft landed, instead of a full platoon of men rushing out to secure the landing site, Sanders and two others were crawling over their comrades' bodies.

"Son of a bitch, what the hell are we up against?!" cried a fellow private to Sander's left.

"'Light resistance' my ass!" shouted the one to his right. "Sanders, what are we going to do?!" Sander looked up at the beach and swore under his breath.

Instead of a lightly defended beachhead with a couple small caliber machine gun nest at most, he instead saw several dug-in machine gun nest with heavy machine guns nestled on the cliff, a couple of pits that he saw missiles fly out from, striking down what little air support the Vale Air Force had. He then saw small track vehicles firing from their cannons high explosive hell, taking out clumped group of soldiers in a single blast. Finally, he could hear the roar of jet engines as the enemy sent their bombers in, raining death upon the incoming LVTs. At this point, Sanders could only come up with one idea.

"GET UP THE BEACH, DON'T GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO LEVEL THEIR GUNS ON US!"

He got up and sprinted, not waiting to see who would follow him. He snarled as he quickly realized he got the attention of one of the machine gunners, forcing him to duck into a crater. He waited as rounds pelted around him, before the sand kicked up stopped hitting his face. Knowing he had only a quick chance to get up the beach, Sanders got up once more and sprinted.

His legs felt on fire, he swore he could taste copper in his lung, and his arms ached from stiffly holding his rifle in his hands, but he noticed the closer he got to the cliff face, the less fire he came under. He was a scant ten meters from the cliff face when he heard a series of whooshes coming from above him. Hitting the deck, Sanders looked up, only to see a series of smoke trails as rockets flew out from their launch vehicle, towards the incoming second wave of LVTs.

Sanders could only watch in horror as the rockets began impacting around and on the second wave, as water plumes and fire balls erupted like an orchestra from hell. He didn't want to think about how many men were in those LVTs, as it could only be in the hundreds.

"Private, get up!" Sanders turned and saw a Sergeant pointing at him. "We are regrouping two hundred meters south along the cliff walls, we need to push hard to get off the beach and to take out the defenders!"

"Yes sir!" Sanders shouted, quickly following the Sergeant to the rendezvous point. Sanders wouldn't realize how much this operation would change his life, and more importantly Remnant's.

* * *

"Kehahah! These landing ships are ripe for the picking!" muttered Abraham Dust, a former miner in the dreaded silver mines of Northern Vacuo.

What most of Remnant chose to ignore was that, despite using digital currency, their economy was based on the value of rare metals, in this case gold and silver. But since Vacuo was the only kingdom to have a large deposit of either, it was decided to run those mines at maximum efficiency, with no care for the conditions of the workers inside. Mortality figures were easily 30%, but their deaths were covered up by the Council as the result of mining into a Grimm dwelling, not as the result of a cave-in where no one bothered to rescue them, leading them to starve.

Thus, when the miners at the silver mine that Abraham worked at were approached by GLA recruiters, most signed up instantly, and Abraham was responsible for convincing the more stubborn to join. Because of this, he found himself being forwarded to their glorious leader Qahira Zaima himself and being put in charge of one of the GLA's tank squadron.

After witnessing the futility of the Hunter's trying to hack away at the armor of a Marauder tank firsthand in the siege of Shade Academy, Abraham began utilizing the tanks under his command in very aggressive attacks, using his own Maraduer to soak up the hits while the lighter and faster Scorpions flanked around and bombarded the enemy shells and missiles before relocating to the next firefight.

So here he was, inside his Marauder tank with a 130mm cannon and a set of rocket pods that his got to jury-rig for added firepower, watching as Vale's landing forces continued trying to establish a foot hold. So far, the Dushka nests, BM-21 Grads, and rocket buggies inflicted the most losses, but Abraham was waiting for the go order to 'unleash the GLA's trump card'.

Suddenly the radio inside his tank crackled to life.

"This is Insurrection leader, orders from HQ have greenlit our attack, commence assault." Abraham smirked; there it was.

"Alright Dust Riders, move out and engage the enemy!" Abraham ordered to his squadron, quickly getting affirmatives.

"For the GLA!"

"Let's grind them to dust!"

"Death to the foreign invaders!"

Abraham felt a lurch as the marauder drove forward, and he quickly began spotting targets for his gunner. First up was a LVT-1 that was almost on shore.

"Gunner, LVT spotted, target five hundred yards, 2 o'clock," Abraham stated. "Loader, load APHE."

Abraham heard as his gunner rammed a shell into the breach of the 130mm cannon before quickly sealing the breach.

"APHE loaded, ready to fire!" the loader shouted.

"Gunner, fire at will!" Abraham shouted. His gunner had taken careful aim, and with a light squeeze on trigger, the tank rocked as the shell flew out of the barrel. However, despite the gunner's careful aim, the shot landed short, kicking up sand. Abraham recalculated the distance and reissued his orders.

"Driver, stop. Gunner, last round short, adjust elevation. Loader, load APHE." The sound of a shell being rammed was heard once more and the Marauder came to a halt.

"Loaded!"

"Shell on the way!" This time the shell flies true and impacts the LVT-1, penetrating the thin armor and hitting what Abraham presumed to be the dust compartment, causing the vehicle to brew up. The infantry inside came out of the transport on fire, desperately trying to douse the fire. Abraham felt nothing but disgust at the foreigners as he gave the next set of orders.

"Loader, load HE. Gunner, switch to the rocket pod. Engage infantry, 500 yards."

"Loaded!"

"Switching to rockets, aiming…rockets on the way!" Abraham heard the shrieks of the 57mm S-5 rockets as they roared out of the pod and towards the target. As the rockets flew towards the burning infantry, Abraham ordered the gunner to fire with cannon, to which the gunner followed through and quickly switched to the cannon and fire, only briefly pausing to re-aim the cannon.

The infantry who managed to douse the fire weren't given any quarter as a volley of rockets and an HE shell erupted their world, tearing apart the infantry in a macabre fashion.

"Good fire crew," Abraham complimented his crew before switching the radio to the squadron setting. "Dust Rider Squadron, this is DR-lead, report."

"DR-lead, this is DR-1, we engaged a squad of Vale infantry, ten killed."

"This is DR-2, engaged and neutralized a squad that had taken cover and were sniping the Dushka nests."

"This is DR-3, we sustained track damage, no injuries onboard, managed to scuttle a LVT-1."

"Very good, DR-2, support DR-3 as they repair their vehicle, DR-1, follow me-" Abraham was interrupted by HQ coming on the horn.

"Be advised, Vale Bullheads spotted near your sector. We are routing three Quad-Cannons to your position, over."

"Affirmative Insurrection leader," Abraham said. "Dust Riders, scatter until the Bullheads are neutralize!"

Unspoken was the fact that while their tanks were more heavily armored than anything people were expecting, the Scorpion tanks still had thin armor on the top, which for the bullhead's twin 20mm autocannons provided no resistance. The Maraduer's armor fared better, but still, better to be safe than sorry.

Abraham popped open his hatch to see if he could spot the Bullheads, and he quickly spotted them; they were coming from the Vale Navy's transport ship, heading straight towards them. He ducked back into the turret and closed the hatch, annoyed he was having to wait to kill the invaders, but as the Bullheads began to line up for their gun runs, the sound of a dozen 20mm cannons opening fire and the light show provided by APIT rounds made Abraham smiled; the quad cannons had arrived.

He continues to watch as the bullhead pilots, so unused to having to evade groundfire, fail to avoid the incoming fire and fall prey to the 20mm shells of the Quad-Cannons. One of the Bullhead's wings was sawed off, while another had a torrent of shells impact the cockpit, killing the pilot and copilot instantly. The third tried to disengage, but it was brought down when the shells impacted its engine, causing it to crash into the ocean, most likely killing its passengers instantly.

"Skies are cleared, you good to continue mopping up these bastards!" the commander of the Quad Cannon squadron said to Abraham over the radio.

"Roger that, remind me to buy you guys a round after the mission!" Abraham said. He then turned his attention back to his crew.

"C'mon men, let's finish burying these bastards in their steel coffins."

* * *

Standing on the _VNS Vale_ , Lisa Lavender felt sick as she was hopelessly watching the Vale army get ripped apart by the VNA. She was suddenly very glad she listened to Jaune when he warned her not to report from the front like she had been intending. She didn't doubt that, as her cameramen continued to catch footage of the devastating landing, had she gone ahead with her previous plan, she would've been killed in the first minutes of the fighting.

She turned away from the fighting, her mind awash as she tried to comprehend where the landings went wrong. She was no military strategist or genius, but even she could see it would be better to call off the attack, rescue the men they could, and regroup before they suffer too many losses.

"Disgusting isn't?" Lisa jumped, only to be startled to see a tall man with white hair and a scar across his left eye. "All those young men and women dying, all for Gen. Dwight's glory. Personally, I see what Gen. Ironwood's…advisor Jaune Maximillian meant that the VNA would be a nightmare to fight."

"Yes it is umm?" Lisa grasped, looking for a name. The man apparently understood what she was looking for.

"I'm Major David Oh, though to most I'm Major Zero," Maj. Zero said. "I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but meeting like this in a time of war tends to ruin the mood."

"Yes it does," Lisa said. "So, what did Jaune tell you about the VNA?" Lisa had been curious as to where the animosity that Jaune had for the VNA came from, while she could guess that its leader Qahira Zaima inflicted personal wounds on Jaune.

"He told me the VNA would turn the beaches into a slaughter house, as he points out the warships of Vale can't get any closer due to the risk of coming under rocket attack to provide fire support with, and I quote, 'abysmal cannons that should've been retired ages ago' end quote. He also stated that they wouldn't hold back, choosing to dump all of their attacks on the beaches before most likely retreating, inflicting as much damage with as little casualties as possible."

"Jaune also warned me that the VNA's air force would-fuck, it's like he's a prophet!" Lisa turned to where Maj. Zero was looking and felt all the air rush out of her lungs.

A squadron of fixed wing aircraft that seemed to consist of swept back wings and a centerline engine that the cockpit sat atop of came roaring down the beach, intermediately dropping bombs that exploded violently, destroying LVT-1s and the infantry around them quickly. Then another squadron followed up from behind, firing cannons and rockets on those not hit in the first wave.

Lisa closed her eyes and turned away, as she could swear she could hear the screams of the poor souls as they cried out due to the airstrikes snuffing out their lives. She heard the major beside her sigh.

"Damn it, I seriously wish Ironwood's man wasn't correct, but at the same time it's fortunate for us, because now we can plan around the VNA's tactics," Maj. Zero said before sighing once more. "I think it might be best for you and your crew to head inside; the citizens of the kingdoms probably don't want to see-"

"No, we are staying out here," Lisa interrupted, turning to face the Major once more. "The people of the Kingdom need to wake up; our army is getting slaughtered by what the Council called an 'angry mob' and until the people see this that's all they will think of the VNA as." She was expecting the major to scold her, but instead he gave a bitter laugh.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what kind of shit this will cause, but I agree with your point. Just, if it gets too much, no one will blame you for stepping back." Lisa watched as the Major walk away.

She sighed; whatever Jaune was working on better come quickly. She turned to her cameramen.

"Jake, Erich, make sure the viewers see the incompetence of Gen. Dwight; I rather our soldiers stop getting killed for someone's pride."

She saw her men nod, and she began mulling over the previous discussions with Jaune, wondering how to use this footage to help his efforts out.

* * *

 _Password Required_

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 _Searching for 'GLA Ground Vehicle Dossiers'_

 _Found 16 related Dossiers, please select a Dossier_

' _All Dossier' selected, please wait as Dossiers are opened._

 _First Dossier Entry- Command Truck_

 _ **Description**_ _: When the GLA became more mobile, they realized they needed a better Command Center, capable of providing radar and necessary equipment to call-in support strikes. The solution was to refit old and nearly unused prison vans to mobile command posts. This later evolved into the Command Truck, where the GLA commander sits firmly and instructs his armies. The truck also came with a built-in radar dish, effectively rendering the Radar Van obsolete._

 _Second Dossier Entry- Observation Van_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _Purchased from an Arms Dealer, the Radar Van provided a mobile source of radar for any GLA commander back in the Global War on Terrorism. The Radar Van could have been upgraded with the Radar Scan technology, which allowed it to periodically reveal areas of the battlefield otherwise not visible, and also reveal enemy stealth units._

 _The introduction of the Mobile Command Truck left the GLA with a surplus of obsolete Radar Vans. However, Warlord General Sulaymaan, ever resourceful, repurposed the old vans as scout units._

 _Third Dossier Entry- Technical_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The Technical is the most basic combat unit that had been ever devised in modern warfare. In reality, it is nothing more than a souped-up pickup truck with a gun at the back. But the Technical was and is a force to be reckoned with, especially at the early stages of the Global Liberation War, where this vehicle sent terror to the hearts and minds of the people under GLA rule. Even though very anachronistic in comparison with today's modern technology, technicals are not forces to be easily trifled with._

 _Forth Dossier Entry-Combat Cycle_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _Among all of the vehicles available in the world, perhaps the fastest, most rugged, most useful and most nimble of them all is a motorcycle. Due to its rather diminutive nature and low cost of maintenance (and production; some rumors say that in Africa, you could trade a cow for a motorcycle) it has been favoured by the GLA, then and now. Even after nearly four decades of use, the GLA doesn't cease to amaze any commander, seeing his base being attacked from a surprising angle and being shredded to pieces by soldiers on fragile motorcycles._

 _Fifth Dossier Entry- Scorpion Tank_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _When Anwar Sulaymaan came into power in the GLA he experimented with some different doctrine and design changes to the main army of the organization. He salvaged some old, obsolete Centurion tanks from the Cold War and attempted to modify them to fit GLA standards. Alas, for he was unsuccessful with fitting in the Centurion to GLA's arsenal, and instead opted for more makeshift designs in their iconic 'Scorpion' line of armored vehicles, ranging from simple armored cars to actual tanks with makeshift modifications. The most common one remains an old tracked farm tractor with souped-up armor and a small-caliber gun, that allows the Scorpion tanks to move and fire at a rapid pace. U.S. tank commanders mockingly nicknamed them 'armored rats' during the bushfire wars in the South African savannahs. Scorpion tanks remain even today a common sight in any area with GLA presence but, in their stock form, they are unsuitable for direct tank-to-tank combat. This was amply demonstrated in Iraq when, during a well publicized engagement, a division of American Crusader Tanks took on an equally-sized division of Scorpions, and destroyed all the GLA tanks without suffering any losses._

 _Sixth Dossier Entry- Quad Cannon_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The Quad Cannon has been the GLA's light anti-air unit for over 30 years, and has well proved its effectiveness. It is capable of dealing with enemy aircraft and infantry with surprising efficiency. This halftrack is heavily armed with four 20mm autocannons, that can be upgraded to increase its damage, and, like many other GLA vehicles, can salvage parts to increase its rate of fire and damage._

 _Seventh Dossier Entry- Recycler_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The Recycler Truck is a rugged, heavy duty engineering vehicle that is typically used by GLA salvage parties, informally known as 'scrap vultures' in the African territories, who scour the battlefield at night after the fighting has moved on in search for anything valuable that might be extracted from vehicle wreckage such as armour plates, weapons, munitions or machine parts. The GLA is known to inspect these components with great curiosity and reconfigure them for their own use against their previous owners._

 _Eighth Dossier Entry- Marauder Tank_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _Despite their work being the stuff of legends among GLA sympathizers around the world, the names of the original creators of the Marauder self-propelled assault gun will most likely remain a historical mystery. All that is known is that a group of five Middle Eastern revolutionaries released a viral video on the internet in the late 2010s in which they provided a literal step-by-step 'tutorial' on how to build a crude armored fighting vehicle using off-the-shelf tools, metal scraps and a truck engine. Most preposterously, the guide suggested that an externally mounted camera connected to a consumer-grade television and a re-wired video game pad could be used to monitor the vehicle's surroundings and help control its movement. This raw ingenuity did not go unnoticed by the Global Liberation Army, whose followers in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa soon followed their example and proceeded to build their own 'tanks' to engage Chinese and American forces head-on, with faith, courage and craftiness making up for a lack of modern machinery._

 _Indeed, the life of a GLA tanker has been a dangerous one ever since the start of the Global War on Terror but those who managed to survive throughout the decades have become hardened veterans and their heavily customized Marauder tanks are a testament of this experience. Armed with a powerful 130mm gun howitzer and protected by a variety of armor scraps cobbled together from foreign tanks of various ages and nationalities, the Marauder remains the most lethal ground combat vehicle in the arsenal of Warlord Anwar Sulaymaan and should never be underestimated. By the early 2040s, many Marauder crews had figured out how to equip their vehicles with fully rotating turrets without diminishing their engine power during a forward charge, thus finally turning their Marauders into actual tanks at long last._

 _Ninth Dossier Entry- Toxin Tractor_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The toxin tractor is the fear of all infantry opposing the GLA, it is made out off a simple farm tractor that is most of the time stolen from a simple farmer. The GLA's ingenuity was quickly able to craft simple tools into weapons of chemical warfare. It's top mounted sprinkler delivers it's "medicine" called anthrax to the infidels to give them a painful death. The shower of anthrax melts the skin of the poor infantry bones and is capable of corroding metal, since the mixture also contains acid. The operator of this machines also suffer from serious problems. They already were mentally ill before they started operating these machines of toxic terror or they became by seeing their victims die horrible deaths at their hands._

 _Tenth Dossier Entry- Demo Truck_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The history of the GLA's technical achievements has always been one of trial and error: The lack of advanced technology and an actual industrial basis called for a greater emphasis on improvisation, as evidenced by the organization's arsenal of combat vehicles, some of which such as the Marauder tank were literally designed and manufactured from scratch using construction vehicles as the basic platform for heavy weapon carriers and a jury-rigged combination of television screens, consumer-grade cameras and game pads as fire control systems for guns that were often little more than metal pipes. Despite being one of the personal creations of White Falcon Cell's leader Abdul bin Yusuuf, the Demo Track trap-laying vehicle proved to be less successful due to its lack of agility and reliance on heavy machinery which was often hard to come by. As a result, the vehicle eventually disappeared from service in favor of the Demo Truck, which was essentially just a civilian pickup truck that was not converted into a Technical for once, but a bomb carrier. The Demo Truck sacrifices the mine clearing plows of its heavier predecessor for a greater level of mobility while its function remains the same: Assembling high-explosive barrel bombs while on the move and quickly deploying them wherever an enemy patrol might be expected to pass through._

 _Twelfth Dossier Entry- Rocket Buggy_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _Not much is known about the history of this deadly vehicle, except that most likely, this project is one of the so many civilian-to-military refits that GLA has done in the past, which explained why it has lived through generations and generation's worth of warfare. Its previous load of rockets has been retrofitted with a medium mortar to engage targets with far more damage, but less accuracy and frequency._

 _Thirteenth Dossier Entry- Scrambler Track_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _With the betrayal and subsequent execution of Prince Kassad, the GLA lost its go-to expert in the field of stealth techniques. Thankfully for GLA commanders, what little knowledge and technology was recovered from the remains of Cobra Cell was studied and successfully recreated, and one of the results is the new Scrambler Track. With the sophisticated GPS Scramblers in place, the Track creates a field of radar interferences around itself, turning all friendly vehicles within the radius invisible._

 _Fourteenth Dossier Entry- Battle Bus_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _One of the different tactics the GLA used during their days of warmongering in the 21st century was the use of heavy anti-Western and anti-capitalist propaganda in major population centers. The poor, the workers, the homeless and the local dissidents picked up arms for the GLA's cause and fought for them all over Central Asia. The most prominent fighting were the infamous "Astana Riots", where the city was practically reduced to rubble thanks to the fanatical Abdul bin Yusuuf's propaganda. One of the ways the angry rioters were so successful was because they hijacked local transportation and used them as makeshift infantry fighting vehicles, with rugged armor plating and reinforced windows attached._

 _One of the interesting things discovered during the later years of the war was that these so-called 'battle buses' didn't just serve as great transportation but also as a very good makeshift defense. When a Battle Bus's wheels were destroyed, they were simply immobilized and turned into bunkers. The GLA raiders inside kept on fighting even though their transportation was dead. Later the next decade, when Anwar Sulaymaan came to power in the GLA, he believed the Battle Buses were hawkish and rubbish at best. But, Yusuuf was still positive as it was a much more economical and a better answer to Sulaymaan's proposition to purchase real IFVs._

 _Fifteenth Dossier Entry- Bomb Truck_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _'Wreck, recycle, revenge' is a common motto within the GLA ranks. It means that whatever scrap they can find, they can reuse it and kill the person who destroyed it. One such mechanical construct is the so-called Bomb Truck. Literally just a truck with tons of explosives packed in the rear, these rides to hell are driven by some of the most fanatical and willing people in the GLA, whose visions of a better future has been programmed into their minds by the charismatic leader of the Brotherhood of the White Falcon, Abdul bin Yusuuf. While still under command of Warlord Mohmar, Yusuuf had much control over his followers. He guided them to their targets, disguised as civilian transport trucks, and when the time comes, they would push the detonator and send whatever poor building they ran into flying in thousands of different directions._

 _The illusive chemist Dr. Thrax and fanatical bombmaker Rodall Juhziz managed to create 'improvements' for the Bomb Truck. A mixture of different biological weapons packed underneath a secured tarp - nicknamed 'tents of doom' by American soldiers - could release a giant cloud of deadly neurotoxins into an area. Gasoline canisters and oil barrels were used by Juhziz to create an even more powerful fireball, one that could even send a Paladin Tank flying. When the two weapon makers worked together they were capable of mixing these two deadly upgrades and create Bomb Trucks that would create immensely powerful chemical blasts. However, when Anwar Sulaymaan came into power, his new chemist Tahar Ibrahiim and aforementioned Yusuuf had a shortage of chemical weapons and high explosives. Sulaymaan decided that a mixture between the two weapons is useless, and as such, Bomb Trucks can no longer release both chemical and HE blasts. When the GLA rose again in the early 2040s, Ibrahiim refused to use these weapons, so Sulaymaan gave Yusuuf all rights to do so, and today he is the only common user of the trucks._

 _Sixteenth Dossier Entry- Grad_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _General Sulaymaan, the Warlord General is easily called the most resourceful general of the GLA faction. Once Deathstrike's Lieutenant during the first GLA conflict 14 years ago he has moved upward in the ranks of the GLA command structure, From this he is given access to many scrapyards and weapons seen in the last few conflicts alongside some of his own contraptions. The BM-21 is such weapons. Able to fire successive shots at a large radius pelting it with High Explosive missiles and then move along to another location within seconds. Just like any other GLA unit, this unit will pack a bang for its buck - which happens to be on sale these days._

 _Seventeenth Dossier Entry- Ural Truck_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _What looks like an unsuspecting supply truck from the outside can turn into a stealthy anti-air weapon once deployed._

 _The Stinger troopers that emerge from the back of the vehicle are veterans of countless conflicts and their proficiency with their launchers even rivals the effectiveness of more sophisticated heavy AA systems._

 _Dossiers Closed._

 _Searching for 'Operation Sandstorm'_

 _Found 1 Report, opening report._

 _ **Overview**_ _: Operation Sandstorm was a Joint Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo operation made to remove the VNA from power, root out traitors and sympathizers, and punish its leadership. Its goal was to secure as much land as possible along Vacuo's eastern shores and push westward towards the capital Babylon._

 _To this end, Gen. Dwight proposed a three-pronged assault; Atlas's air-fleet would attack the north and head South, Vale's army would land on the Eastern Beaches and proceed methodically towards Babylon, while hunters and huntresses would infiltrate the country, get into Babylon, and begin efforts liberating the capital._

 _However, as soon as the Operation began, the VNA proved to be more than 'an angry mob'. The unexpected abilities of the VNA's vehicles and their dug in and camouflaged defensive positions proved to make the early attacks disastrous. Atlas is faring the best, suffering so far only 30% casualties, most of them being unmanned units, but the loss of a light air cruiser has caused the Atlesian officers to rethink their original battleplans and they are not progressing as quickly as Operation Sandstorm demands._

 _Vale's beach assault however is an unmitigated bloodbath; while the exact size of the VNA's force is unclear, Vale so far has suffered 55% casualties, however the few units on the beach that survived the initial onslaught are beginning to regroup, and pockets are forming on the beaches._

 _Alas, the threat of VNA airstrikes and artillery bombardment jeopardizes the operation, as they could be used to destroy what pockets the Vale Army has managed to create._

 _No reports on the hunters' progress, but that was expected, due to the distance and terrain they must cross to reach the capital. However, if the results on the other two fronts are to be considered, it may be wise to pull the hunters back before they fall into a trap._

 _ **Recommendations**_ _: It is my recommendation that we shorten our battle lines, find a way to netrualize the VNA's air and artillery advantage, and begin deploying operatives through Vacuo to set up resistance cells and gather mission-critical intel for our forces. The method of slamming a hammer on our enemy is backfiring; we need to surgically strike at the VNA's forces, determine where their weaknesses are, and exploit them._

 _~Written by Major Zero_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ho boy, I'm back! Seriously, it took me a while to write this up, not because of not knowing what to write, but how to write it and how much I should cover. I decided to show both sides of the main fighting site (the beach landings), as well as reaction from Lisa Lavender. Plus I added the lore bits of the GLA vehicles (thank the good folks from SWR for writing good lore bits). But before I address some points in this chapter, I want to take a moment to respond to your reviews;**

 **-Dead Randy Walkin: Thank you for your praise, and trust me, expect to see me dive more into the Generals/ROTR lore as we progress. So hopefully this battle scene wets your appetite.**

 **-White 1498: For the War against the VNA, or the factions of ROTR? In either case, I will probably do it at some point, but not right now.**

 **-NakedFury: Hey, if you hate the dossiers, just skip them; I add them so people can get more immersion into the story. Also the A/N I add so I can address my readers, so nope.**

 **-Shadow: Thanks for the praise.**

 **-Guest: Thanks mate for the praise.**

 **-Cloneguy: Thanks once more for the praise. And yes it's a Killzone Reference, I liked the franchise and it was a quiet place to pay homage to the series.**

 **Now with the reviews out of the way, onto some points that might need addressing;**

 **-Why is there no naval bombardment: in almost any amphibious landing operations, it is often under naval bombardment. But back in Chapter 3 or 4, I mentioned the biggest gun Remnant made was a 100mm cannon that was on a train, and it was deemed a failure. So the most logical naval guns Remnant would've made would be short range 76mm gun to kill large sea Grimm; where you want rate of fire and a shell just big enough to kill the Grimm. No need for overkill if you have resource issues.**

 **But a 76mm naval gun wouldn't be able to outrange the BM-21 grad's rockets, causing the warships to sit outside of range of providing naval bombardment. In addition, Gen. Dwight is an arrogant twat, and thinks that the VNA wouldn't be able to hold their ground once the Vale army began to land. Too bad the VNA can kill the LVT-1 before they even land.**

 **-Marauder tank scene: I liked this scene, but I may not have done it right. If any of your served in a tank, please give me advice on how to do it better, like how orders would be issues between the crew, between a squadron, and between higher command.**

 **-Acronyms and military short hand: Also, for those outside of military jargon, here is list of acronyms I threw around, along with short hand or easy speak that the military uses;**

 **-IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle, things like the US M2 Bradley or the Russian BMP-1.**

 **-VMR-45: Stands for Vale Marksmen Rifle-.45 caliber. Semi-automatic with a ten round detachable magazine.**

 **-LVT-1: Stands for Landing Vehicle Transport model 1. Similar to the Higgins boat, only fully enclosed.**

 **-Dushka: short hand for DSHK 12.7, which is a Russian built heavy machine gun.**

 **-APHE: Armor Piercing High Explosive**

 **-HE: High Explosive**

 **-APIT: Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer**

 **-VNS: Vale Navy Ship**

 **That is it for now, until next time (where we'll see some of Jaune's past on Earth, build up Lisa's character, see the build up of Jaune's unit, and the continue fighting of Operation Sandstorm), please read, review, follow, and favorite the story, and I'll catch you guys next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

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 _June 2028, Berlin Germany_

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Jaune Arc sighed as he sat on a bench, quietly reflecting the past six months. First his family dies, then he gets dragged into the fight against the GLA under the Wolfsrudel until about a month ago when the Chinese army, who came to Europe's aid, manage to expunge the GLA from Germany, but not without long reaching consequences.

He didn't know much of this world, but he knew that the loss of a city like Hamburg under nuclear hellfire that he could see at night in Berlin wasn't something that should ever happen. Then with all the radiation and chemical fallout from both the Chinese and GLA weapons massive cleanup efforts were underway, but Jaune had overheard that it would take decades before it was fully cleaned up, at best.

During his time under the Wolfsrudel, Jaune had made a name for himself as 'Das Panzerknacker' or 'the armor breaker' for taking out so many GLA tanks with the Panzerfaust 3 that he got. However, while others celebrated the defeat of the GLA, Jaune simply felt disgusted with himself. He didn't want to know how many people he sent to the afterlife, only knowing it was in the hundreds. His only conciliation was that he did it to protect himself and those around him, which still felt hollow to him.

But alas, his time fighting had seemingly come to an end, and he was now sitting on a bench outside a makeshift orphanage, as he was still 15 years old and without anyone to go to. He saw some Chinese aid workers handing food out to the younger children, who seemed hollow from the children Jaune knew back on Remnant. He sighed; these kids lost their families like him, only at a younger age.

"If only this fighting didn't happen, they would have their families," Jaune muttered to himself, unaware of someone standing behind him.

"Ja, tis a tragedy that so many children are without family," a accented male voice said. Jaune jumped and turned around, facing a tall man with brown hair, fair skin, and wearing a pair of glasses with a grey uniform that Jaune learned belonged to officers of the German Army.

"Ah, sir," Jaune hastily snapped a salute, the habit ingrained when he served with regular German army officers and later Chinese officers, who demanded subordinates salute them. The older man shook his head.

"At ease son," the man said, and Jaune assumed what he could recall was a parade rest, only for the man to sigh. "You're a civilian, you needn't act like a soldier, so please, be at ease." Jaune put his hands to his side.

"Um, what are you doing here sir?" Jaune asked, his curiosity about why a German officer was here at an orphanage.

"I came to check on the orphanage, make sure the children are well cared for," the officer said. "That and I was looking for someone that a volunteer told me about."

"Oh, who are you looking for?" Jaune inquired before pausing, realizing he didn't know who he was talking to. "Um, sir, what is your name?"

"Ah, well, my name is General Wolfgang-Maximillian von Kuerten," the officer answered, causing Jaune to remember a discussion a few members of the Wolfsrudel having. Apparently, Wolfgang was well liked in Germany because a few years ago, he refused direct orders to mobilize his armored units when Bavaria seceded from Germany. Most in the Wolfsrudel looked up to the General, as his was a fair and compassionate man to his countrymen, and was willing to defy orders if they would cause unnecessary deaths.

"Crap, sorry General, I didn't recognize you!" Jaune yelped, realizing suddenly he was in the presence of a General. "I'm not from this country you see, and I-"

"Calm yourself young man, I care not for my rank as all it has done is caused me to be buried underneath a pile of paperwork," Gen. Wolfgang said. "Besides, I was told to find a Jaune Arc by Frank Jaeger, who is signing up to join the Bundeswehr."

"Um, why are you looking for me sir?" Jaune asked, worried he fucked up somehow during his time in the Wolfsrudel. Wolfgang looked at Jaune for a moment before chuckling.

"Don't worry Mr. Arc, he told me about your situation, how you lost your family in Berlin to those GLA dogs," Wolfgang said, snarling at the mention of the GLA. "He asked me to help you out, as despite not being German and not needing to fight, you still shed sweat and blood in defense of the Fatherland."

Jaune didn't say anything, as he quite honestly thought he didn't do anything to merit any kind of aid after the war. There were several others who could use the General's aid more, such as Hans who lost his left arm due to a GLA sniper. What help did an other-worldly kid like himself deserve from a General who probably had bigger responsibility?

"Why?" Jaune asked quietly. Wolfgang saw the sadness in Jaune's eyes and his frame. He rested a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"While it might seem odd, you are clearly out of your depth, with no one to turn to, and no one to trust in. You have no money to buy what you may need, no family to take you in, and frankly no skills outside of fighting to help you out," Wolfgang outlined. "Frank told me that without you knocking out the GLA's tanks as well as you did, the Wolfsrudel could've collapsed under the weight of the GLA's relentless assault, or be forced to abandon the elderly, the children, and the mothers that they were protecting."

"Therefore, I wish to offer to adopt you," Wolfgang stated quietly. "I know what it is like to lose comrades in front of you, but you also bear the pain of losing your family in front of you in an instant. I couldn't live with the thought of a young man forced to endure the hardships that would break other men on his own. But I also know that if I didn't offer to adopt you, you would be passed by due to your lack of speaking German and your age. It would make finding work difficult, and the road to recovery will be a long one for everyone in Europe."

Jaune remained silent for a moment, knowing what the General was saying to be true. Despite half a year fighting in the Wolfsrudel, he could barely understand German. And add to his age as a teenager, no one in Germany would want to adopt him. He however was about to decline when Wolfgang said something that caused Jaune to change his attitude towards his life and situation.

"I would wager you feel you are undeserving, or rather no deserving enough, to accept my offer, but let me tell you something. After Frank spoke to me about you, I interview others within the Wolfsrudel, those they protected, and you know what they told me?" Jaune shook his head.

"They told me that you would give your rations to the young kids who were starving, you took risks others wouldn't take to protect those around you despite them being strangers, and that despite the hellish conditions you found yourself in you never abandon the fight, you never assaulted a fellow comrade, and you never complained about your circumstances. That there tells me you are more than deserving a second chance at life. You shouldn't force yourself to be miserable due to a misconception about yourself."

Jaune was shocked that the others in the Wolfsrudel payed that much attention to what he did, and it humbled him that they thought so highly of him when he thought he was lucky to be even alive. He took a breath to steady his nerve before looking Wolfgang in the eyes.

"Then I accept your offer sir," Jaune said. Wolfgang chuckled, smirking afterwards.

"Very well then Jaune, then let's proceed to check on the others less fortunate than us and make sure they are getting the care they need, ja?"

* * *

 _Present Time, Military Base 'Schwarze Ritter', exact location classified, Atlas (two weeks into Operation Sandstorm)_

* * *

Lisa Lavender resisted the urge to sigh as she waited for the bullhead to finish landing. She decided to take a break from the fighting in Vacuo, which she could only say regretfully somehow managed to get worse.

Despite strong urging from Maj. Zero and Gen. Ironwood to cease the operation due to unsustainable casualties, both Gen. Dwight and Gen. Eisenbrecher refused to back down, and instead double down on their efforts. Both demanded more men be pulled from their respective kingdoms to 'compensate for the causalities inflicted', which were staggeringly high. The Atlesian's losses were sitting now 45% of the initial wave, with almost all of the Atlesian knights destroyed, and the loss of an air frigate and air light cruiser heavily impacting Atlas's efforts.

Vale meanwhile had over 75% of the landing force decimated, but surprisingly the forces on the ground managed to secure a beach head, and through capturing of VNA defensive position, managed to secure a safe zone for Vale to insert troops into Vacuo without incurring losses due to airstrikes. The threat of the VNA tanks and artillery remained however, and soon Vale began to dig in, a series of trenches sprang up to attempt to keep casualties down.

The only reason both kingdoms haven't revolted was because before Lisa could publish her report on the front-line, the Council intervened and demanded 'all news report go through them', effectively censoring her. However, Maj. Zero managed to keep Lisa's footage from getting edited and they were on her person. Hence she decided that if she couldn't report the truth about the war effort at the front, she would go report on another aspect of the war effort she was less likely to get edited; the formation of Jaune Maximillian's military unit.

"Ma'am, we've touched down, the Colonel is awaiting you," the pilot said, breaking Lisa from her reverie. She nodded, remembering that Jaune told her that he was holding the effective rank of Colonel while in command of his unit, taking direct orders only from Gen. Ironwood. She motioned her crew to collect their gear while she grabbed her bag. As she stepped out of the Bullhead, Lisa gaped at the sight before her.

When she was informed of Jaune's base, she expected it to follow Atlas's or maybe Vale's base design; be as imposing as possible while also being grandiose. She had expected something, while not as impressive as Beacon, along those lines.

Instead she got what she could only describe as ruthless utilitarian and pragmatic. The perimeter were nearly two stories of what appeared to be earth reinforced, with towers at every change in angle. The buildings were all square, designed to maximize space and protection, with the doors reinforced and the roof edges lined with razor wire. Several pits house cannons that aimed towards the sky, and the fortifications all looked like they were designed to take a serious beating.

In addition, you could clearly tell everything had a purpose and was geared to the purpose, with direct pathways between buildings that enabled one to efficiently move around without having to take contrived paths. Finally, she could see units of thirty men performing drills, be it marching, firing, equipment maintenance, or exercise drills.

"It may look impressive up here, but down there it has little comparison to the civilian world," spoke the voice of Jaune Maximillian. Lisa turned and saw the blonde man, only this time wearing his full uniform, which if she was honest made him kind of sexy. She didn't recognize the medals or ribbons that he wore, but everything screamed he had experienced and more than earned his rank.

"Good afternoon Col. Maximillian," Lisa said. "Thank you for offering to my crew and I to do some reporting here."

"Nonsense, it is what we agreed to in the first place, I'm merely fulfilling my word," Jaune said. "But I assume you and your crew are tired from the flight?" She shook her head.

"No, we got some sleep, the weeks before…" She paused, unsure how to explain what she saw at the beaches.

"It was hell over in Vacuo isn't it?" Jaune rhetorically asked. "Figures; warn the higher ups about the threat and they chose to indulge in the arrogance, and it's the poor foot soldiers who pay the price."

"You make it sound like you were expecting the VNA to be as bloody as it was over there," Lisa said, not being accusatory but rather stating a fact.

"Yeah, my experience with Qahira Zaima told me that the VNA would fight extremely dirty and show no remorse or quarter," Jaune said. "I just wish that the generals in command would listen to their subordinates more and recognize when to call off a failed operation. But I heard Vale is sending another ten thousand men into the meat grinder and Atlas is sending in all the Knights they can, a quarter of the airfleet, and 3000 soldiers."

"They are, but of course the Council refuse to let me inform the public about the losses," Lisa laments. "It's like they rather cover up their mistakes than find a solution."

"That the council are," Jaune agreed. "While we could discuss the afternoon away on the landing pad, how about we get you guys settled in?" Lisa nodded, and she and her crew followed behind Jaune, heading into the command center.

As they walked through the hall, Lisa was reminded of a sci-fi film that took place on a space ship, as everywhere you looked, there was someone performing some task, wires ran the length above and alongside them, and it seemed like someone could do maintenance without needing anything to remove a panel. He eventually lead them to a room with a couple of beds, foot lockers, a private bathroom, and standing lockers.

"I apologize for the lack of privacy, but this regional command center was designed with sieges in mind," Jaune said.

"It's no big deal," Lisa said, and it wasn't. She could remember one time having to share a single bed in a hotel in Mistral.

"Alright then, if you need anything, push that button," Jaune began, pointing at button near the door. "And one of the privates in training will respond. Don't waste their time; keep it to things you need like food and drink, or medical should something occur. Otherwise, you'll be escorted around the base, as I suspect you will want to look around and understand what I'm doing with these men and women."

"Understood," Lisa said. "Although would it be too much to ask for a brief…interview for the want of a better word."

"Very well, follow me to my office," Jaune said. Lisa nodded and walked behind Jaune. As they walked to his officer, Lisa noticed that despite most of the base personnel being from Atlas, she made out a fair number of Faunus, which was practically unheard of in any of the militaries, especially Atlas's. This was in part due to the friction between Faunus and Humans being on edge due to the White Fang becoming more violent.

However, before she could ponder on this unusual development, they arrived at Jaune's office. As he opened the door and walked in, Lisa noted that instead of a picture perfect clean desk, his was covered in papers that while organized was everywhere. But of most interest to Lisa was a picture of a younger Jaune standing in a uniform like the one he was wearing with…

Lisa paused; in the picture was someone that Lisa would've swore as being her doppelgänger. The woman was slightly shorter than her, her hair was a bit longer, and she wore a blue suit, but overall, it was like looking into a mirror. As though sensing her imminent question, Jaune spoke.

"That's Eve, my late wife," Jaune said, picking up the picture. "I remember always carrying this in my pocket, thinking it was a lucky charm. But I guess it wasn't lucky enough." He sat down, taking a long look into the picture before setting it aside. "So, what were you wanting to discuss?"

Lisa took a seat before getting ready to start the interview. She took a moment to clear her mind of the image of Jaune's deceased wife, realizing how it might've been painful for Jaune to talk to her when she reminded him of his late wife.

"So, what are your thoughts on the progress made during Operation Sandstorm?" Lisa asked. Jaune sighed.

"To be brutally honest, I'm disgusted with them," Jaune said. "Gen. Dwight and Eisenbrecher should be stricken from history for allowing such a disaster to continue to unfold. The VNA not only knew where we were attacking due to media broadcasts, but they managed to make the beaches a killing field. To make things worse is they are giving us the impression that we've managed to secure a foothold."

"What do you mean?" Lisa interrupted. "I thought the Vale army managed to create a safe zone to unload troops and supplies." Jaune nodded before pulling out a piece of paper. He quickly drew up a rough 'map' to represent a section of the landing assault.

"Well, anyone that knows a thing about defending against a beach assault knows that either you have to force the enemy back into the sea completely, or you concede the beaches to the assault element, but then force a defeat in the mainland. However, what the VNA is doing instead is trying to inflict as much casualties as possible."

Jaune drew a couple of blue zones to indicate the pockets of 'safe zones' that Vale secure, then made an area red.

"The VNA are here in the red zone, with fresh troops, defenses, and artillery, which they can use to bloody the areas that Vale's army has managed to secure," Jaune said. "The VNA willingly gave up the beaches, only resisting to give those higher up the impression they were making progress. They probably will use their air force and artillery to pound those safe zones, while keeping the vast majority of their army inland, outside of any air or naval support Vale could give their ground forces, and mercilessly crushing any attempts to move inland."

Lisa frowned; it seemed rather counter intuitive. Wouldn't the sane thing for the VNA to do is keep an iron grip on the beaches? She asked this to Jaune, only to hear him chuckle.

"Sadly no; if they were to try that, then we could harass all along the beach front, forcing them to reroute forces to try and stop our invasion, opening themselves to further invasions. But alas, with Gen. Dwight foolishly stating where he was going to attack, the VNA simply had to defend that beach heavily enough to deceive the general that what he was facing was the full force of the VNA, when in reality it was merely the first echelon. I am certain that as he forces his army to push inland, the casualties will mount, and it will seem that the VNA is without end. As someone once said, 'My strategy is 1 against 3, my tactics is 3 against 1'. What we've seen is only a small extent of the VNA's capabilities."

"If that's true, then what should the army be doing?" Lisa asked. Jaune sighed.

"They should've called off the invasion after the first three days, and form a better plan," Jaune stated. "Then the army should focus on improving their equipment to better approach the fight. As I've seen, the LVT-1 has too thin of armor and no effective means of supporting the troops it is carrying. The Bullheads also need better armor, firepower, and countermeasures, and the soldiers need some protection against the bullets and fragmentations they are encounter, and a suitable replacement for their aging rifle."

"In addition, we need to get intelligence officers into Vacuo and gather information about the VNA. We are fighting the VNA without knowledge of their numbers, where they've deployed, and what they are planning. In essence, we're fighting blind which is only going to serve to increase the causalities we are facing."

"But isn't that what the hunters that were deployed supposed to be doing?" Lisa inquired. Jaune shook his head.

"No, they were deployed to try and act like the vanguard, striking at the capital of Vacuo and holding out while the armies of Vale and Atlas move in," Jaune answered. "They refused to take medical and radio equipment, thinking this would be a quick fight. Instead, they are probably way over their heads dealing with the VNA's reprisals."

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked. Jaune paused, trying to decide how best to explain what the hunters would be experiencing before thinking of a suitable example.

"Tell me Lisa, how does Atlas respond to snipers?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for not updating, but I had wanted to do another section, but I kept coming up with blanks, and I want to publish this chapter before Christmas. Hopefully the next chapter we can see some combat of Hunters vs the GLA, but not this time. But the fight with Pvt. Sanders will make another appearance, as will a flashback of one of the engagements that Qahria Zaima fought. But onto this chapter.**

 **Not much really has happened in this chapter but character and plot development. I know it's sad, no combat to salivate over, but we see how Jaune became close to Gen. Wolfgang, as well as developing Lisa Lavender and the status of Jaune's forces.**

 **I decided to have the developing fight on the beaches explained by Jaune because the next chapter we'll see Pvt. Sanders and the Valean Forces begin to push in earnest, and not strictly speaking be on the defensive. And before people say that you want to keep the enemy off the beaches, I'll say this much; this strategy, while I can't find a proper name, has been done but a numerically and technologically inferior force to bleed a much stronger enemy into a defeat.**

 **For instance, during the Maori wars of New Zealand, the battle of Gate Pah had a Maori force repulse a superior British Force by digging in, weathering the British artillery with trenches and bunkers, and then surprising the British when the British entered their encampment. I'd recommend watching Lindybeige's video on the battle of Gate Pah for more details, but suffice to say, the GLA are not trying to contain or repulse the Valean and Atlesian armies, but make them bleed a unsustainable amount of casualties.**

 **That's all I want to discuss for now, as I felt that was the biggest point that needed clarification. Until next time guys, please read, review, follow, and favorite the story, and I'll catch you guys later.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Hunter becomes the Hunted

* * *

 _Present Day, Ankara, Vacuo_

* * *

Leonidas Nikos scanned the outskirts of Ankara, the capital of Vacuo. He could see patrols of VNA soldiers roaming the streets, the occasional technical with a heavy machine gun driving along the highway, and the various roadblocks that served as checkpoints. Where there was a bustling desert oasis of a city, there was now a fortified and protected city.

He sighed; seeing several smaller cities along the Hunters' way become miniature military outposts. Houses barricaded, barb wire running along every inch of fencing and rooftop, garages turned into vehicle depots for the VNA tanks and heavy vehicles, and the trains became armored conveyors. But the worst thing was that despite the hostile takeover, most people in Vacuo welcomed the insanity!

He didn't know how many times he and his group of hunters had to watch as young aspiring huntsmen, politicians, and anyone that resisted the VNA were put to public execution, and how much he wanted to scream against the people cheering their demise! What kind of madness had fallen upon Vacuo where civilians cheered for other's death?!

"Hey, Winchester's group have reported in." Leonidas turned to Achilles, his partner from when he first began his career in becoming a huntsman. The man had a spear and a shield, much like Leonidas, but his spear transformed into a shotgun as opposed to Leonidas's sniper configuration.

"What does the bigot say?" Leonidas said; despite the urgency of their mission, Leonidas couldn't help but despise Henry Winchester, due to that bastard being the biggest fucking racist pig you could encounter in the World, save perhaps for Jacques Schnee.

"He says that Shade Academy seems to have been demolished by the VNA," Achilles said. "He only knew it as he knew it was near the canyons, and he also said that it looks like there isn't any resistance in the area."

"No shit," Leonidas snidely commented. "Who the fuck would remain to fight when everyone in a hundred kilometers wants you dead?"

"True, but you'd think that some people would resist the VNA." Leonidas shook his head at his partner's thought.

"Say you fought back, what would happen in a week? Where could you get supplies, reinforcements, medical, hell even a place to sleep for a few hours? The VNA sprang up everywhere and without warning; there was no way to form a resistance amidst the chaos," Leonidas countered. "But here we are, about to kick in the hornet's nest and begin liberating Vacuo."

"I agree, but-wait, what is that?" Leonidas looked to where Achilles was pointing, and saw a rather strange convoy. Unlike the technical or the tanks they had to slip by on their way in, what he saw were tractors with a little turret that seemed too small to be carrying the cannons of the light tanks they had saw before, and they had two tanks with a strange label in a yellow circle. In addition, there were large dump trucks with a similar symbol, and the beds of the trucks were covered in a tarp.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Leonidas said. "Probably some new weapon that the VNA is going to send to the frontlines. Damn it, why did we agree not to carry radios?"

"Because it would've weighed us down, we underestimated the extent of the VNA's reach, and because we decided it was better to ensure we had food, medical, and ammunition supplies over carrying a radio," Achilles answered, despite knowing that his partner's question was rhetorical. The two men sighed, thinking how hasty they were in their planning. But it wasn't all their fault, as the council urged and pushed for a fast response.

"Alright, Achilles, get everyone ready to move out. We are going to head towards the councilor building and see if we can't get a better scope of the location," Leonidas said, and Achilles was about to nod when a whumping noise was heard.

"The hell is that noise?" Achilles asked, getting close to a window. Leonidas saw a quick flash of light from across the street, and realized what the flash was. As fast as he could, Leonidas tackled his partner to the ground as a bullet slammed into the wall behind them, followed by a thunderous crack.

"Shit, we've been made!" Leonidas shouted. "Everyone, prepare for combat!"

As the veteran huntsman heard his comrades in the building they had holed up in scramble for their weapons, Leonidas took a peak out of the window and saw a sight he never thought he would be on the receiving end of.

In the streets, civilians ran inside to seek cover while VNA soldiers began to converge on the building. Two of the strange tractors began to turn around and head this way, along with technical and even one of those tanks that had a small missile on the turret. In the skies were strange aircraft that had a large blade rotating above the airframe, a large glass bubble cockpit, and what looked like a farming sprinkler system that acted like wings that were moving towards the building.

Leonidas switched his spear into its sniper configuration and began to line up a shot on a VNA soldier that was carrying a rocket launcher. He tuned the world out, taking in one deep breath, lined the crosshair on the soldier's center of mass, and gently squeezed the trigger.

Unlike most guns that huntsmen used, Leonida's rifle used only dust as a propellant and had a lead bullet, finding it was cheaper and a bit more reliable than a pure dust round. This was also better in most situations against people who didn't have aura unlocked, as it wouldn't cause secondary effects like lighting them on fire or covering them in thick ice. However, as the bullet struck home, Leonidas would regret his choice.

The bullet landed solidly in the chest of the VNA soldier, who was knocked down. Leonidas was about to move on to the next target, only to see the soldier get back up, albeit sluggishly. He frowned, wondering how the bullet was stopped, only to groan as he saw the soldier flick the bullet off his chest, which had revealed a black plate underneath the soldiers clothing.

"Fuck they have body armor!" Leonidas cursed. He was about to take another shot, but a bullet hit the window frame, shattering the bottom wooden plank into splinters. Ducking into cover, Leonidas wondered where the hell that shot came from, before remembering the scope flash he saw earlier.

Leonidas saw his partner sneak a peek outside, before cursing.

"Shit, we really did stir up the hornet's nest, didn't we?"

* * *

"Damn huntsmen, they really think we wouldn't find out about them sneaking into our land?" a soldier in one of the technical escorting the toxin tractors asked, gripping his AK-47 tightly. "We should just send in a bomb truck and-"

"Quiet you fool!" shouted a tall black man in a deep voice wearing a turban and a combat jacket. "These aren't the young naïve fools that were at the academy; these men are hardened by their fighting with the Grimm. Also, those bomb trucks are being sent to deal with the beach heads."

The GLA soldier muttered something under his breath, but the tall black man ignored it. For Imani Azikiwe, he had been fighting in conflicts far worse than the GLA uprising in Vacuo.

Born in the Republic of Congo, Imani's family had moved to Egypt when he was four, but a US drone strike that hit the wrong building had orphaned him at the age of 11. Since then, Imani had been a soldier in the GLA, quietly yet efficiently rising through the ranks due to being Anwar Sulaymaan's top lieutenant, torture expert, and envoy to other GLA leaders.

On the battlefield, Imani was respected by his troops, mainly because unlike many in the GLA, he didn't send them to die unless it was to distract the enemy from the true attack, and even then, he tried to keep losses to a minimum. Imani was highly sought out by US forces due to his constant harassment of US interest in North Africa and the Middle East, becoming one of the top 10 most wanted in the GLA.

As they neared the building the huntsmen were entrenched in, Imani checked his Vektor R4 assault rifle, ensuring he had plenty of ammo and that it was set for full-auto. Based on the Galil Assault rifle, the Vektor is made in South Africa and built to withstand the conditions of southern and central Africa. He also checked that his chrome plated Desert Eagle was in prime condition. He preferred the Desert Eagle due to its sheer stopping power and the terror it inspired when it went off.

A bullet dinged off the roof of the truck, causing the driver to momentarily swerve to evade more fire, but he quickly righted the vehicle when no more fire came in. Imani thumped the roof of the technical, signaling the gunner to open fire.

The gunner racked the bolt of the M2 HMG, before unleashing a withering fire of .50bmg at the lower floors of the building. Imani smirked as all incoming fire seemingly stopped; the GLA had used the massive machine guns to suppress Vacuo's Rangers and huntsmen several times, and it seemed like the enemy never learned, as the GLA soldiers always rushed in to get in close to use Molotov cocktails.

"Heh, looks like they will fall all the sa-" the GLA soldier in the cab didn't finish as a bullet had actually punched through the glass and took off his head. Imani quickly began shouting orders.

"Everybody, get out and suppress all windows you can!" Imani then turned his attention to the gunner. "Gunner, pepper the second floor!"

"Aye boss!" the gunner shouted, switching fire from the first to the second floor. Imani rolled out of the vehicle and began charging forward with the other GLA soldiers. He smirked as a couple readied the Moltov cocktails, only to frown as rapid gunfire from the second floor, despite the gunner peppering there, hit the lit cocktails.

As the GLA soldiers who were unfortunate enough to be holding the cocktails were engulfed in flames, Imani signaled to the toxin tractor to move forward. He recalled seeing the dumbfounded looks of the local GLA fighters at the effects of the anthrax spray upon even the aura-protected huntsmen. It turned out the no one on Remnant used chemical or biological weapons, and aura had the horrible effect of trying to counter the toxins, only to severely weaken those with aura, until it finally broke, and then the buildup of toxins did truly horrific things to the huntsmen.

The toxin tractor moved in, getting to within firing range, when Imani saw a man leap out of the building, brandishing a shotgun.

"Soldiers, protect the tractors!" Imani shouted. Several GLA soldiers aimed their AKs at the man, but their aim wasn't that great, as the man seemingly danced around the bullets, only using his shield to block rounds he could dodge, trying to close in to engage the tractor. Imani knew he'd have to take a risk to prevent the loss of the tractor and potentially causing a spill of the lethal contents.

He rushed forward with his Desert Eagle in his left hand, firing as he charged, while getting a machete in his right hand. The man twirled around and raised his shield, and Imani was impressed as he saw the man still standing, his shield taking the brunt of the .50AE rounds. However, he couldn't stall.

Imani slid towards the man, and took a wide sweep with a machete, but the man jumped out of the swipe. The man transformed his shotgun into a spear (that was something Imani was still trying to get used to) and began launching a series of thrust at Imani.

Imani instinctively backed away from each thrust, replying with each thrust with gunfire from his Desert Eagle. This kept the man from doing anything crazy and forced him to use his shield. Imani glanced and saw that the toxin tractors began spraying their lethal concoctions into the building. He heard the terrified gasp and screams of the huntsmen inside as the anthrax beta went to work cutting through their aura.

Imani then saw another man jump out of the second story and began firing rapidly with what looked like a sniper rifle at the technical gunners. Imani growled; he needed to finish his current opponent, so he could deal with the fast firing sniper.

Imani leaped back and pulled out his Vektor, quickly emptying the entire magazine into the man's shield. Due to the battering barrage of Desert Eagle's bullets, the shield was weakened enough to allow the 5.56mm rounds to punch through the shield. The man's aura did stop some of the rounds, but he took a couple of hits to the arm, which caused his shield arm to lower a bit. Imani took his chance.

Charging forward and brush aside the man's spear with his pistol, Imani used the hilt of the machete to yank the shield out of place. The man's eyes widen as Imani quickly thrusted the machete's blade into his shoulder.

The man desperately kicked Imani away, but was forced to drop his shield. Imani quickly raised his Desert Eagle as the man tried to level his spear, turning it back into a shotgun. It was in a split second as Imani fired rapidly into the man's center of mass. With all the damage the man took beforehand, seven .50AE rounds buried and then exploded out the man's back, completely eviscerating the man's chest cavity, killing the man before he fell onto the ground.

Imani didn't have time to celebrate however as the other man saw this and bellowed out in anguish.

"Achilles, no!" the man then charged at Imani. Imani was out of bullets for both of his guns, and was about to accept his fate and the man's spear lunged forward. However, as though Allah was watching him here, a bullet from a GLA sniper across the street impacted the charging man in the leg, causing the spear to miss and bringing the man down.

Judging by how the leg seemed to be blown apart, Imani assumed the sniper was apart of Sarah's Ghost. They had made a reputation for using the massive PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles to terrifying effect while being unseen by most. Imani was glad for the support.

He turned and saw the damned souls of the resisting huntsmen stumbling out of the building, massive blisters forming on their skin and coughing up an unhealthy amount of blood. Imani thought it was a small mercy for the huntsmen that the GLA soldiers gunned them down as they stumbled out of the building.

Imani turned his attention to the crippled huntsmen, who was trying to reach his weapon. Imani strolled over and kicked it aside, while reloading and then pointing his Vektor at the man.

"It's over huntsmen," Imani spoke in his deep voice. "Your comrades that were with you are dead or dying, and soon the other groups will be hunted down. Your only option is either to surrender or die."

"You bastards," the man grunted, before he coughed in pain. "Damn it, why did everything go to shit?"

"Because you arrogant imperialist think that the world will roll over and die so your leaders can profit off the misery of those born outside of power," Imani coldly stated. "The Vacuo Nationalist Army will not so easily be defeated, not by the armies of the other kingdoms, not by you huntsmen, and not by any other outside force."

The man growled, but Imani knew that the man would surrender; after all, what else could the man do? He couldn't fight, couldn't run away, and if he tried either he would be shot dead like a feral dog.

Imani motioned for a couple of the GLA soldiers to come and pick the man up. As the soldiers gripped the man by his arms, a third soldier came running up to Imani, holding a radio.

"Sir, it's Qahira; he wants an update on the hunt," the soldier said. Imani sighed, watching briefly as the man was knocked out by the GLA soldiers before being loaded up into a technical. He took the radio before calling in.

"Hello, this is Imani, reporting in."

"Ah Imani, so good to hear from you," Qahira cheerfully replied. "How goes the hunting of the huntsmen?"

Imani resisted the urge to growl as Qahira's demeanor. When Anwar Sulaymann ordered Imani to ensure the loyalty of Qahira, he had thought the War Hound was simply a mad dog hell bent of waging eternal war. Yet the more time he spent with the man, the more Imani questioned the man.

There was no doubting the hatred that Qahira exhibited towards the US, China, and the ECA, yet despite the claims from his enemies and himself of being a war hound, Qahira was far too crafty to simply be a war-hungering soldier. His attacks were meticulous, his speeches designed to inspire his soldiers and send terror into his foe, and his grasp on geo-politics was a bit alarming. If Imani hadn't spent enough time around Qahira, he would think that Qahira was planning on taking control of the GLA from Anwar.

But he wasn't. He seemed content with fighting his enemy anywhere, anytime. He always seemed to chose his target to shake things up for his enemies. Like with the raid on Israel, it had caused the tensions that were already high to skyrocket with the discovery of nuclear weapons in Israel's arsenal. And the scrambler incident, it seemed like it was perfectly orchestrated to incite further tensions between Russia and the ECA. And this caused Imani to wonder what it was that Qahira was after.

"The hunt goes well," Imani reported, dragging himself from his quiet musing. "we managed to eliminate on the groups of huntsmen, even taking one of them as a prisoner."

"Ah, that's interesting," Qahira said, humming quietly to himself. "Well, please do make sure that the prisoner is alive and ready for your…gentle touch. I would like to know more about what Vale and Atlas are doing, considering that despite facing severe casualties they managed to secure a beachhead. And our puppet is trying to worm his way out of the deal, so I might need you to ensure he listens and gives up information we can use in future operations."

"I understand Qahira," Imani said. "Is there anything else?"

"Not per say, but Sarah seems hellbent on finding one of the huntsmen that is supposed to be in this 'raid'. You remember the dossier I gave you?"

"Aye, and before you ask, no, he wasn't with this group," Imani said. "That said, I got the other groups to round up and eliminate."

"Very good, then god speed to you," Qahira said, before the connection cut off. Imani sighed and handed the radio back to the GLA soldier. He then turned to the assembled soldiers, who were busy reloading their weapons and patching their wounds.

"Alright everybody, get back in the transports, we got more hunting to do!"

* * *

 _Password Required_

 _Input Password_

 _Access Granted Commander_

 _Searching for 'NBC Warfare'_

 _Found 1 document, please waited while document opens._

 _Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Warfare report._

 _Due to the conflict with the VNA (which is most likely a false name for the Global Liberation Army), the threat of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons is of grave concern, not only to military units but also to the civilian population. However, due to a lack of these kinds of weapons in Remnant's history, it is the prerogative of this report to inform commanders of the dangers of these weapons and the solution to these weapons._

 _We'll begin with chemical weapons, as they are the most likely to be used by the GLA. Defined as any chemical mixture designed to incapacitate or kill through their toxic properties, chemical weapons are relatively easy to manufacture, but difficult to transport and keep viable. Due to the numerous kinds of chemical weapons, the main issue with combating these weapons is the effects that chemical weapons have on the environment and the lack of control over the distribution of said chemicals._

 _Often being deployed as a gas, chemical weapons can also be used as a liquid, with the gas being harder to direct only at military targets while liquid-based agents can affect ground water and other sources for long period of times._

 _Therefore, it is a priority to eliminate any units that use chemical weapons (please refer to the GLA unit dossiers for more information), and to secure the contaminated site. Once the site is secure, cleanup efforts may commence, but special agents need to be made to eliminate the chemical weapons without doing further harm to the environment. In the case of individuals exposed to chemical weapons, they should be shipped back to the kingdoms to receive intense treatment to recover from the various effects of the agent, and if need be, retire from the armed forces._

 _Biological weapons meanwhile is the use of disease against human targets. These can vary from fungal, viruses, parasite, bacteria, and protozoan disease. The most common in the GLA arsenal is Anthrax-Beta, a strain of the bacteria Anthrax that was designed to survive in a liquid solution to direct combat uses. However, this is far from the only bio-weapon that the GLA has used, with some cells using gene-modified strains of highly contagious and lethal disease like those found in the Hemorrhagic fever and influenzas families._

 _The only way to combat this is to combat the strain directly, creating anti-bodies and vaccines to prevent soldiers from dying to the bio-weapons, or to buy time to get them to a field hospital should they exhibit symptoms. While less able to affect the environment, it is still recommend that areas exposed to bio-weapons be quarantined until the area has been deem cleaned by those trained in eradicating the bio-weapons._

 _It is also imperative to prevent GLA agents who have voluntarily infected themselves with bio-weapons to get into the kingdoms. Entry into the kingdom must begin putting in efforts to screen individual for these agents, as if they get into the civilian population the case mortality rate could exceed 80%._

 _Finally are nuclear weapons. These weapons have only been used a few times by the GLA, but the devastation this class of weapon can unleash is unseen in Remnant's history. The power of nuclear weapons is not to be underestimated; the average nuclear weapon can wipe out a small city, while the largest ones can destroy a kingdom in the blink of an eye._

 _There is no defense against a nuclear explosion; for reference the Chinese DF-21 medium range nuclear missile (Dossier on the DF-21 will be published in the future) has a 500 kiloton (KT) warhead, a air blast radius (at 1psi) of 15.7km, and fireball radius of 0.73km. If a warhead of this size were to hit Vale's capital city in an airburst, conservative estimates of casualties would be 431,000 fatalities, with a further 466,000 injuries. Inside the fireball no structure would be safe, at the air-blast radius of 5 psi would be 5.58km from the epicenter, with most residential buildings would collapse, and 3_ _rd_ _degree burns are expected out to a radius from the epicenter of 9km._

 _In addition to the physical damages caused by the explosion, radioactive fallout would contaminate air, ground, and water. The effects of radiation poisoning can be seen by several medical reports when miners were exposed to radioactive elements, and these effects would be prevalent in a nuclear detonation._

 _Alas, the GLA doesn't have the means to build a nuclear weapon, but if there was an opportunity for a nuclear weapon to be stolen, they would take the chance and use it to cause maximum harm to any of the kingdoms. The only viable means to stop a nuclear attack is to prevent it from occurring, either by ensuring no nuclear weapons are built for them to steal, neutralizing any nukes they could have, or intercepting the attack before the nuke is allowed to detonate._

 _This concludes the dangers of NBC warfare. I hope this report is listen to and effective measures are enacted to prevent such attacks against the kingdoms._

 _~report written by Jaune W. Maximillian von Kurten_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Holy shit, I had a rough idea of what I wanted this chapter to cover, but damn if things didn't keep creeping up that kept me from being satisfied with the resulting chapter. But finally, a chapter I can be proud of. Now, let me get to your guys' reviews before talking about some points I want to discuss.**

 **-RaGex: Yes, Salem and her minions will be making an appearance, yet their role will be undermined due to the GLA and other forces. They won't be as powerful in the shadows as seen in canon-RWBY, mostly because the White Fang is going to be shaken up something fierce.**

 **-Psihopatul: Glad you are enjoying the story, and I do intend to have alternating chapters, just so that the combat isn't taking all the spotlight. Plus it takes me a long time to be satisfied with how I write the combat, as it can be difficult to write combat that isn't two armies clashing (like the combat was in this chapter).**

 **-The armed forces: You're kind of right, but the US did suffer some defeats at the hand of the Viet Cong. The fighting could be seen like Iwo Jima, but it wasn't the only influence.**

 **-Artyom-Dreizehn: Here's the next chapter, enjoy!**

 **-Shashenka: Yep, I'm trying to make the GLA fight like they would. As for Jaune fighting the Grimm, it's kind of going to be one sided, cause Jaune is a proud supporter of the God of War, artillery! Now professional army vs huntsmen, I gave a peak into what it be like in this chapter, but the GLA isn't on the same class as say the People's Republic of China's army or the US military.**

 **-Mr. Green37: Thanks for the compliments and I do try to use historical examples to make the combat seem more real.**

 **-reader: Yeah, snipers against huntsmen doesn't end well for the huntsmen. I mean, even huntsmen that use sniper rifles (like Ruby, May, and Pyhrra) don't utilize the range advantage all that well. In fact, I think they are better described at designated marksmen then actual snipers, which would be fine against the Grimm, but against human snipers, yeah fat chance.**

 **-Count Sinner: So do I, but things IRL do sometimes make it difficult to update as much as I like.**

 **-PotatoZirkiri: Thank you, and I try to make the story as entertaining and good as possible.**

 **Now onto a few points that I want to discuss.**

 **-Imani's character: Imani's character was Mr. Green37's creation, and he submitted the character to me to use. So give thanks to Mr. Green37 for a new character for will be appearing from time to time.**

 **If you want to submit an OC for me to use, send me a private message and give a detail list of the character, including their name, appearance, faction loyalty, preferred weapon, etc. I will respond to each submission, but unless I feel the character has something to add, they may not be added.**

 **-the NBC report: This is a teaser to future events in the story, as these weapons will begin to alter the way wars are fought on Remnant. I decided to give the report as done by Jaune to ensure that when the weapons are brought in, yeah they'll be a shock to most of Remnant, but those in power will be able to react faster than if Jaune hadn't warn them. This will also tip off Qahira that someone knows the GLA's textbook. Can't wait to write that reveal, but it must wait.**

 **Also, in that report I used the city of San Francisco to stand in for Vale City, and used a 500kt warhead in the nuke map to determine the effects of a nuclear attack. Seriously, nuclear weapons scare the shit out of me, mainly because one minute you can be enjoying your day, and the next your nothing but ash, or worse you are dealing with radiation sickness and 3** **rd** **degree burns.**

 **That's all for now, until next time guys, please read, review, follow, and favorite, and I'll catch you guys next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Operation High-Tide (Preparations)

* * *

 _Present Day (5 weeks into Operation Sandstorm), Atlas Academy, Ironwood's Office_

* * *

Ironwood was reading the latest combat reports of Operation Sandstorm, and to say it was a complete failure was an understatement. Despite the waves of reinforcements that was being thrown at the problem, no progress was being made, and the casualties kept growing. Next the various hunter groups were silent, despite them supposed to report as soon as they had entered the capital.

Ironwood sighed; he would order a general retreat if he could, but he was sadly outside of operational command. But even if he could, there was the issue of how to organize a mass retreat of soldiers from the landing sites.

The problem was that while Atlas could retreat easily with their airships, using the drones to distract the enemy, the Vale landing beaches had no such means of constructing a distraction. Indeed, Vale had dug in and gotten themselves stuck between the VNA defenses and the ocean, with no real way to retreat back to sea, as VNA artillery could pound the ever living shit out of any large landing craft capable of taking large number of soldiers.

Thus, he decided to get an outsider's opinion on what to do. And that meant getting ahold of Jaune. He knew Jaune was busy getting his forces ready (the first deliveries of his infantry weapons and light vehicles had arrive a few days before, and his forces were training to use the new weapon systems), but Ironwood need some good advice on how to get Vale to retreat from the beaches without it becoming an absolute bloodbath.

"General, it's good to hear from you, but what might you be needing?" Jaune asked as soon as the holographic message request was sent to him. Ironwood could see Jaune in his uniform, and to say it suited the young man was an understatement; he seemed to be one with it. Beside Jaune was Winter, who seemed to be exhausted, if the rings around her eyes were anything to go off of. Ironwood was glad that Lisa wasn't there; he did not want her knowing of Jaune's off world experience.

"Jaune, I know you are busy setting up to take the fight to the VNA, but alas, a meeting between the various commanders of Operation Sandstorm to discuss our next move is going to be held soon, and I need something to convince the others that a general retreat is needed," Ironwood stated. "What did Earth have as far as getting off a beach while being pressed against a significant force?"

"Fuck, sadly there isn't many examples of retreating off of beaches," Jaune admitted. "That is because before gunpowder most beach invasions were simply landing operations as no one would try and oppose a beach landing. And most beach retreats occurred when a force conducted a failed naval invasion, with one major exception. Thus, I can only think of two retreats that would be relevant, due to the size of Operation Sandstorm."

"The first was during the First World War, when the British forces needed to retreat from Gallipoli, much like the Valean army finds itself at this moment. The British tried to take Gallipoli, but had failed due to the high cliffs, machine guns, and being shot down upon by the Ottomans. Even the most liberal estimates on casualties on trying to retreat were around 50%."

"So how did the British get off the beaches?" Ironwood asked as he struggled a bit to entertain the idea that a retreat could see half of his force. It seemed impossible, but yet he knew better than to doubt Jaune just yet; the information Jaune gave to him about the GLA were very important, and Ironwood was able to use that information to inform a close circle of Atlesian Officers he knew were loyal and able to stay quiet to keep Atlesian casualties lower than what was being seen by Vale.

"Through deception and planning," Jaune said. "When the British General in charge decided the campaign had to be called off, he organized the retreat into three phases. The first phase was to at night take soldiers, stores, and whatever else was not needed out while keeping the pretense that they were doing nightly deliveries. In addition, British soldiers were told to remain silent, but when Ottoman forces came to within range, they were to lay down a barrage of fire onto them, to instill into the Ottomans that quiet trenches weren't empty trenches."

"The Next phase involved cutting down the amount of ground the British had to defend; this meant trenches that were abandoned were to be booby trapped and ammunition from units getting off the beaches were given to those not yet evacuated, so they could fire rounds faster without worrying about running out. The final phase was a general last-ditch retreat, where units simply retreat onto the last ships, taking what they could with them."

"How successful was this?" Winter had asked.

"Very successful, despite the general failure of the Gallipoli campaign; more than 83,000 soldiers evacuated from those beaches in about ten days, with maybe of dozen casualties as far as soldiers were concerned. There was a number of horses killed so the Ottomans couldn't use them, but by and large the evacuation was a success."

"That's impressive, but do you think we have time for such a deception?" Ironwood asked. Jaune rubbed his chin as he contemplated the likely actions of the VNA.

"As the VNA is content with turning the beaches red with our blood, they may not seek to attack us any harder than they currently are," Jaune began. "However, if Qahira gets a notion that the armies are going to retreat, he may send his air force, regardless of how small it is, to strike a heavy blow by destroying the Vale Naval vessels partaking in the retreat. We could however take a page out of Operation Dynamo, which was again a British retreat, this time from an encirclement around Dunkirk when the German Wehrmacht."

"During the Second World War, when the Germans invaded France, they had cut off the British Expeditionary Force from the rest of France. Had Dunkirk fallen, it would've costed the British and the French over 338,000 soldiers, which would've left Britain with a skeleton army, and the French would be even worse off than they already were. The main reason the evacuation was a success was partially because the Germans halted their advance as their soldiers were exhausted simply getting to where they had gotten, and they had to simply rest up. The other major reason was that with the halt order, the German air force said they could take care of the pocket, but the RAF was able to deal with them largely before they could do serious damage."

"But the VNA won't stop their attacks, and they don't have the issue of needing to rest up after a string of battles," Winter pointed out. Jaune nodded.

"True, but we could begin by gathering as many small vessels as possible to use as evacuation ships, to mitiagate losses should the VNA decide to try their hand as sinking the ships, that way instead of hundreds or thousands depending on how big of ships you would've normally use, it be in the tens or twenties," Jaune pointed out. "We'll still need those big vessels to effectively get the troops back to Vale, but the bigger ships are vulnerable to the VNA artillery batteries."

"Alright, but what stops the VNA from bombing the vessels with their airforce?" Winter asked, and Ironwood was wondering this as well. Even if they used the little ships to get troops off the beaches and to the bigger vessels, those vessels would be vulnerable to air attack, even if they got out of the costal artillery firing range.

"For that, Atlas will need to send an air fleet," Jaune said. "I haven't been able to read how well the Atlas air fleet has been dealing with the VNA air force and add to the fact I wasn't so adept at integrating air-support into my strategies, so I don't know if it'll be a bloody affair."

"I've been reading over the reports," Winter chimed in. "Our Bullheads and Arrowheads struggle against the VNA fighters, though that is mostly due to the superior climb rates and top speed. It appears that in a turning dogfight that our Arrowheads and to a lesser extent our Bullheads can out maneuver the VNA fight. Their bombers and helicopters are much easier to deal with however. Also, now of our airships were downed by their fighters; the few losses were due to concentrated AA fire from the ground."

"That's good to know," Ironwood stated. "Then perhaps I can begin orchestrating a retreat from the beaches until we can do something to get up the beaches and past the first layer of VNA defenses."

"That would be best, but who knows how the VNA will react to our retreat," Jaune said. "If Qahira has his way unchallenged, then he might try creating GLA cells in the other kingdoms to ensure further war. We need to be wary of a possible GLA uprising elsewhere."

"I agree, which is why, when your forces are fully mobilized, I will have you begin showing your worth to the Atlas council by taking on areas heavily infested with Grimm," Ironwood informed Jaune. "We need to show the Council that your forces and unique equipment are more than enough to give us an upper hand against the VNA."

"Understood General," Jaune said. "I will have to see how my men are handling their new equipment."

* * *

 _Military Base 'Schwarze Ritter', Atlas, at Infantry Fire Range Alpha_

* * *

Lisa was with her camera man, wearing a bulletproof vest that was similar to the ones the nearby soldiers were wearing and a Mk.3 integrated protection and comms helmet. It was designed to give soldiers protection from fragmentation, deafening noises, bright flashes (things all too common on the battlefield, especially with how the VNA fought as far as Lisa knew), as well as providing soldiers to talk to their squad mates and allow field officers to get ahold of their higher ups to relay new information or to receive new orders.

The reason she was wearing battlefield protection was because she was at one of the fire ranges at Jaune's base, and was informed that if she were to observe the live fire training exercise, she was to wear the protection. She was at first annoyed, thinking that the protection was overkill, but then she saw what was being wheeled out for the soldiers to train with, and she could say she felt a bit better having the protection.

The quartermasters had wheeled out on large carts a wide variety of weapons. First was the basic fair; assault rifles, pistols, what she assumed were submachine guns, shotguns, and simple hand grenades. Then came the bigger items; large, long-barreled sniper rifles, massive rocket launchers with equally massive warheads, and slimmer but more complicated missile launchers. Finally came the weapons that Lisa wondered why the hell Jaune thought any soldier needed, before remembering the bloodbath on the Vacuo beaches; heavy man portable mortars and heavy tripod mounted machine guns that fired grenades.

She watched as the soldiers began using the assault rifles, which she began to compare to Vale's VMR-45. To say the new rifle smoked the VMR-45 was an understatement; the new rifle had a higher rate of fire, large ammo capacity, had an integrated scope over the VMR's iron sights, and was smaller than the VMR-45, which was rather long and barrel-heavy if she recalled.

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice asked her, causing her to jump slightly and turning to whoever spoke, only to see that it was Jaune.

"Don't sneak up on me," she said, slapping his chest in minor annoyance to being snuck up on, before realizing that she had slapped a Colonel on his base. But Jaune's response shocked her; he simply let out a slight chuckle.

"Ah, not the first time someone slapped me for sneaking up on them," Jaune said. "At least this time it wasn't my face. So, what are your thoughts on the soldiers?"

"I don't know," Lisa replied. "I been here at the base for a bit now, so I should know the soldiers, but I can't get a feel for them like other soldiers I've interviewed in the past. They seem more…I don't know how to explain, professional perhaps?" Jaune nodded.

"I run a tighter shift around here than most bases," Jaune explained. "They wake up when commanded, eat what they are rationed, do their exercises to the utmost of their ability, being punished when they fail or decide to lash out against their peers or instructors, and rest when the day is over. I wouldn't use the word professional; I'd say they are more disciplined than other soldiers."

"I see," Lisa said, and in a way, she did. The soldiers she interviewed in the wake of a Grimm attack or after a major incident were a lot more care free than the men and women at Schwarze Ritter. They would joke, get drunk, goof around, and never seemed like they were super serious about what they were doing. Perhaps it was different when they were in the middle of a mission, but she didn't really know.

But the soldiers of Schwarze Ritter were always serious. They took to their drills and exercises with no degree of uncertainty, they never messed about causing trouble, and those that did were quickly forced to change as the others would look down on them. It was a lot more serious here than at other bases, and it showed in minor ways.

She had yet to see a blemish on the soldiers' uniforms, their beds were immaculately made, and no one had as far as she had seen shirked any of their duties. This was a far cry from the likes of bases in say Vale, where she often would end up having to deal with a soldier trying to hit on her, while drunk. Needless to say, being at Schwarze Ritter was a more enlightening experience than she was expecting, even if she hadn't been able to interview Jaune as much as she would have liked.

"Would you be interested in using one of the HKFN-22?" Jaune inquired, indicating to Lisa one of the rifles.

"Uh, sure, but I've never fired a rifle before," Lisa said. The closest she got to shooting was a simple two barrel derringer pistol that she only shot twice, both times at what she would swear was most definitely not a rat but some kind of Grimm, definitely not a rat. Jaune shrugged.

"It isn't a problem; everyone that wants to learn something has to start somewhere, so I'll treat you like a fresh face recruit," Jaune stated before leading Lisa to one of the HKFN-22 rifles and handed it to her, before he began discussing safety.

Lisa knew most of them as she had heard it from instructors on other bases, but Jaune went one step further, detailing what to do and what not to do if the rifle malfunctioned in some capacity. He explained how he grew to hate rookies who, in a moment of utter and profound stupidity, looked down a barrel when a gun failed to fire. He then went on to how to hold and use the rifle.

Holding the blocky looking rifle was interesting to Lisa. For one it was lighter than she was expecting, less than the weight of a gallon of milk. Second, unlike Atlas's current rifle which had an awkward buttock which she saw no one ever use, the HKFN didn't have a buttstock in the traditional sense; there was a place to rest your chin on, but it looked like it housed internal components. But the rifle was infinitely easier to hold by the placement of a pistol grip next to the trigger, and a handguard in front of the trigger, unlike Atlas's rifle where you had to sort of hold it in the air to shoot. The weirdest thing about the rifle was she couldn't figure out where the magazine went; there wasn't a magazine well to slot a mag into.

She turned her mind away from the mystery as Jaune spoke and saw him bring up a long magazine.

"This is the magazine for the HKFN-22," Jaune began. "It holds the 5.7x33mm caseless round and holds a total of fifty rounds. Now to load the rifle, you'll need to slide it along this guide this way-"here Jaune showed Lisa the end where the round would feed into the rifle from "-and then you rotate this little switch to feed the first round into the action. Your rifle has the space for two more magazines, located here and here, that you can use by pressing this button here to release the magazines from their holding."

Jaune went on a bit before stepping back, giving Lisa a firing lane to use. After fiddling with the rifle to get used to the ergonomics which she didn't have too big an issue with, she then loaded a magazine into the rifle and rotated the switch as Jaune instructed her to do, and raised the rifle to her shoulder and aimed through the scope. Through the simple crosshairs with a red center cross for easy ID'ing of the center, she lined it up to the target and pulled the trigger.

She could hear three reports, albeit it sounded a bit like someone was ripping aluminum foil, before she felt the recoil, and even them it didn't really feel that bad. She looked at the target and saw three tightly grouped holes just up and to the left of the bullseye. She squeezed the trigger again, and was impressed to see that again the rounds landed in a similar sized grouping, although she was a bit more off, though she chalked that up to her and not the rifle.

She continued to fire until she ran out, and she realized one thing; she would not be fit for a sniper. Seriously, with 50 rounds, you would think that at least 1 bullet would land bullseyes, but at 150 yards, she failed to do that. Oh, all the rounds did hit, but Lisa knew that long range shooting required precision, precision she sorely lacked.

"Well, that's pretty damn good, at least for a complete novice," Jaune said. "I know the first time I was handed a rifle, I could barely hit the target. Then again, I was using an older rifle that was chambered in a much larger round. Still Lisa, you did pretty good for your first time."

Lisa smiled, quite glad for the praise from Jaune.

"Thanks," Lisa said, handing the HKFN-22 back to Jaune.

"Not a problem, although would you like to try out some of the other weapons?" Jaune inquired. Lisa paused, considering how much better of a report she could do with some range time. That, and it would give her some more time with the Colonel.

"Sure, so what's next?" Jaune pointed at one of the smaller weapons, the ones that looked like a SMG.

"Here, try this."

* * *

 _Password Required_

 _Input Password_

 _Access Granted Commander_

 _Searching for 'ECA Infantry Dossiers'_

 _Found 9 dossiers, please select a dossier._

 _All dossiers selected, please wait as dossiers are opened._

 _First Dossier-Felin Rifleman_

 _ **Description**_ _: While the various national militaries still operate a lot of domestically produced equipment, the Continental Army has decided in favour of the French 'Felin' programme when it came to choosing a standardised infantry doctrine for the joint European task force. As such, infantry formations that partake in ECA operations receive state-of-the-art body armour and communications equipment of French design._

 _With the 1970s FAMAS rifle starting to show its age, a new replacement was found in the form of the HKFN-22, a cooperative design by German and Belgian manufacturers that married the compact space age frame of the cancelled G11 rifle with a powered up version of the armour-piercing 5.7mm cartridge used in the P90 PDW. In a further effort to combat the near-total Russian air supremacy during the war, many Felins were also equipped with shoulder-fired Starstreak MANPADS, a peculiar anti-air missile of British origin that releases three self-guided submunitions upon reaching a certain altitude to ensure a hit._

 _Second Dossier- Panzerfaust Soldier_

 _ **Description**_ _: Ever since the Second World War, tank crews have learned to cringe with fear upon hearing the German word 'Panzerfaust' (literally 'tank fist'). The latest model of this time-tested weapon design went into full mass-production and is currently being issued to the many brave volunteers that want to make a difference. Thanks to the Panzerfaust's amateur-friendly configuration and its powerful shaped charge anti-tank projectiles, chances are indeed high that a large difference will be made against the relentless onslaught of Russian tanks._

 _The low production cost and simplicity of the weapon do come at a price, though: Unlike many other modern anti-tank launchers, the Panzerfaust's projectile is entirely unguided, as it is indeed little more than a rocket propelled grenade. As such, it is not able to home in on a tank and is entirely worthless against airborne threats. However, the lack of guidance systems does allow for a much bigger explosive charge and in addition to that, the weapon is also compatible with a new type of anti-bunker vacuum warhead, capable of crushing and suffocating enemy infantry in cramped garrisons._

 _Third Dossier- Attack Dog_

 _ **Description**_ _: Trained for its strength, intelligence and obedience, the German Shepherd is a relatively new breed that dates back to the late 19th century. Its traits make it a prime candidate for canine operations alongside police and military units, including those of the ECA. It goes without saying that the Attack Dog is only able to combat a very narrow variety of threats, but it mangles any infantry soldier foolish enough to venture near once it's off the leash and ordered to attack. In addition to that, the dog can detect covert infiltrators and sniff out explosives. Its specially designed tactical vest is also equipped with sensory and a 360 degree camera, making it useful for reconnaissance missions thanks to its agility and good sense of orientation. Finally, the vests can also be upgraded with ceramic armor inlays that provide a high level of protection against small arms._

 _Fourth Dossier- Combat Medic_

 _ **Description**_ _: These field physicians possess all the necessary knowledge and equipment to heal European infantry forces out in the field and evacuate wounded comrades. Since their primary job is to provide emergency medical care, Medics are protected by the Geneva Convention and must not be attacked. However, in the light of numerous atrocities reportedly committed by General Aleksandr's barbaric Shock Divisions, many Medics have resorted to arming themselves with old, surplus machine pistols such as the Skorpion vz.61 or the Austrian TMP in order to protect themselves from attacks. This has the unfortunate side effect that the now-armed Medics lose their status as non-combatants and become valid targets, a circumstance that is nevertheless preferred over the possibility of running into a Shock Trooper while unarmed._

 _Fifth Dossier-Engineer_

 _ **Description**_ _: In the aftermath of Operation Nemesis, the ECA offered lucrative jobs to civilian contractors who were willing to provide their specialized engineering skills for the reconstruction of North Africa. Over the following years, these men aided in the construction of modern hospitals, schools, roads and irrigation networks, laying the foundation for a new economic perspective in this region ravaged by warfare._

 _The contractors do not carry weapons and are regarded as non-combatants, to be escorted by armed ECA soldiers at all times but it has been reported that many of them try to make themselves useful during combat situations by repairing damaged military vehicles and using their technical skills to rapidly take control of key facilities on the battlefield._

 _Sixth Dossier- Combat Pioneer_

 _ **Description**_ _:_ _The European Combat Pioneers are highly trained specialists that are deployed for a variety of support tasks. Their primary weapon is the MP57 personal defence weapon, a rugged submachine gun which fires the smaller 28mm length version of the ECA's standard 5,7x50mm assault rifle round. In addition, they pack some serious firepower in the form of a portable 81mm infantry mortar, which can be loaded with three types of ammunition once properly deployed and calibrated: General purpose high-explosive rounds, airbursting canister shells for use against massed infantry and non-lethal tear gas canisters to irritate and disorient the enemy. Thanks to their advanced weapon training, the Pioneers are able to fire a quick barrage of ten explosive grenades without having to fortify their position, if the circumstances prohibit proper entrenchment. Rounding off this useful combination of ranged fire support and self-defence, the Pioneers can also plant a powerful shaped charge anti-vehicle mine to shatter enemy tanks._

 _Seventh Dossier-Grenadier_

 _ **Description**_ _: Armed with a fully automatic 40mm grenade machine gun, these heavy weapons specialists can lay down a devastating barrage of suppressive fire, wrecking entire concentrations of light vehicles and infantry within seconds. The cumbersome weapon weights over 30 kilograms and needs to be mounted on a tripod in order to fire, which is why it takes the operator several seconds to set up or displace; an issue that should be considered when choosing a fighting position. Aside from the standard armour-piercing/high-explosive grenades, the weapon can also be loaded with a special rubber-capped anti-personnel round that is designed to bounce and detonate in the air, releasing a vicious hail of shrapnel that shreds even the most heavily entrenched enemies._

 _Eighth Dossier-Heavy Sniper_

 _ **Description**_ _: There are not many things that produce such profound feelings of terror and fear as the sight of a comrade's face exploding into a mass of red mist, followed by the delayed sound of a high-calibre rifle shot from far, far away. The ECA Heavy Snipers are long-range marksmanship experts and masters at this particularly insidious combat style. Armed with a high-powered AW50 anti-material rifle, these elite sharpshooters can cause catastrophic damage to personnel and light armoured vehicles alike once set up. Due to their costly equipment and extensive training, skilled sharpshooters have become a rare asset for the Europeans during the war. The UK Special Forces command still has the capacities for large scale sniper operations and lends its services extensively to General Charles Cutting of the British Army in support of the war effort._

 _Ninth Dossier-Commando_

 _ **Description**_ _: With much of continental Europe under Russian control, the British Special Air Service, Royal Marine and Parachute Regiments remained some of the few special forces that still operated in direct coordination with ECA high command. The Commandos had their finest hour in the late autumn of 2048, after a sizeable detachment of Russian airborne troops had seized control of the European space centre in French Guiana in an attempt to shut down the Solaris network. With only a few firewalls between them and complete domination over Europe's most important power source, its satellite communications and space capabilities, the three elite units were dispatched to South America at once. After a dramatic night time insertion, the Commandos converged on the space port which was held by a large, dug-in VDV force. Against seemingly impossible odds, they managed to reach the command centre and re-routed control of the vital space assets to Spain, preventing a major disaster after the Russians had already used the satellite 'Newton' to fire a solar burst at the USS Spirit of Freedom off the coast of Ireland, rendering one of her flight decks inoperable and forcing the Americans to destroy the satellite with one of their own Particle Cannons._

 _In combat, the Commandos can only be called into action by experienced commanders. Armed with a customised spec ops modded rifle and specialized equipment, they will then covertly infiltrate the designated area on a moment's notice._

 _~Dossiers provided by Colonel Jaune Arc._

 _Dossiers Closed_

 _Signing off Commander._

* * *

 **Author's Note: God damn it, sorry, it took so fucking long to get this chapter done. I kept running into ideas that didn't pan out, but now I got a solid idea on where I want to take the story right now. Anyway, let's get through the latest round of reviews shall we?**

 **-Psihopatul: Thanks for the encouragement, and we shall see the aftermath of those hunter's demise and the effects it has on their family. Also, Remnants reactions to WMDs will be one of unprepared shock and horror; I won't say who is or what the first target will be, but it will disgust everyone due to how vile it was and the reasoning behind it.**

 **-RaGex: Yes, all of the factions in one way or another will make an appearance in the story. I won't say who will make the next appearance, but it will be in the aftermath of the first use of WMDs in Remnant.**

 **-ChronoHyperion: Thanks for the support, and maybe. Some I could see, others not so much. It'll have to depend on things progress.**

 **-Blazblade: Oh yes, they will make an appearance, especially the Manticore. It's too awesome a unit not to include.**

 **-ImaginationBurstingOut: CHAPTER OUT NOW!**

 **-Edboy4926: Thanks for the kind words, and old Jimmy will get a chance. It'll take some time and a reveal that will hopefully be a shock to all, but needless to say, the Council will learn their place.**

 **-Jonathan: Thanks for the recommendation, I'll have to go and read it.**

 **.1: You thought toxin tractors were bad in C &C: ZH? Try the new Plague Duster that the GLA get in ROTR; it's a Bell 47 helicopter that carries stingers, ATGMS, and a bloody crop duster that carries chemical agents. Seriously it is the bane of any large infantry formation, as it can cover a lot of ground in chemicals.**

 **And now onto some points about the story. This is the first in a 3-part Arc, that deals with getting the fuck off the beaches in the clusterfuck that was Operation Sandstorm. There's a reason I used Gallipoli and Dunkirk as the inspiration for how the soldiers of Vale are getting off that beach, and it's simple; I couldn't find any other large-scale examples. Seriously, before WW1, no nation tried to conduct large scale naval operations (that's not to say they weren't conducted on a smaller scale, but they were usually against a lightly defended section of beach or were smaller in scale). And even then, these two were the only times that the invasions have failed but a retreat was possible (that's why I'm not using the Dieppe Raid, which failed and resulted in 60% of the forces that made it ashore to be captured, killed, or wounded).**

 **So yeah, the idea of evacuating from a beachhead is a nightmare, and it makes it worse that I only have these two examples to go on, so expect me to try and make things interesting with my ideas on how such an evacuation could go down.**

 **That's it for now. So until the next chapter, please read, review, follow, and favorite, and I'll catch you guys next time.**


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